Appointment of King's Counsel in Scotland 2025

Introduction

The appointment of King’s Counsel in Scotland is made by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the First Minister, who seeks nominations from the Lord Justice General.

The Lord Justice General invites applications from suitably qualified advocates and solicitor advocates. The application process and assessment criteria are set out in a Guide for Applicants, which was amended a little this year and is available from the Judiciary of Scotland website.

An Independent Observer is appointed by the First Minister to provide assurance that the appointment process is fair and transparent, by reviewing all applications, assessments, references and other relevant documents and discussing the process and outcome with the Lord Justice General.