what is the colloquial term for a top barrister

The common colloquial term for a top barrister (one appointed King’s Counsel or Senior Counsel) is “silk”.

Why “silk”?

• Senior barristers who are appointed KC or SC wear a special court gown made of silk, unlike junior counsel whose gowns are cotton.

• Over time, this distinctive silk gown led to the informal nickname “silk” for these senior, highly respected advocates.

When the term is used

• In many common law jurisdictions (for example, Australia and the UK), people at the Bar casually say things like “he took silk last year” to mean a barrister was appointed KC/SC.

• “Silk” is therefore not a formal rank in itself, but a widely used shorthand for a top-tier barrister holding the rank of King’s Counsel or Senior Counsel.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.