The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdictions that have chosen to change the title "King's Counsel" to a name without monarchical connotations, usually related to the British monarch that is no longer head of state, such that reference to the King is no longer appropriate. Examples of jurisdictions that have made the change because of the latter reason include Mauritius, Zambia, India, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Singapore, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Jurisdictions that have retained the monarch as head of state, but have nonetheless opted for the new title include some states and territories of Australia, as well as Belize.
An example of dress in court
In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms, a King's Counsel is a senior lawyer appointed by the monarch of the country as a "Counsel learned in the law". When the reigning monarch is a woman, the title is called Queen's Counsel (QC).
A 1903 caricature of King's Counsel Robert McCall wearing his court robes at the Bar of England and Wales. For court, he wears a short wig, in addition to bands instead of lace at the collar, but he retains the silk gown and court tailcoat worn on ceremonial occasions.
Caricature of Serjeant William Ballantine SL wearing court dress. The extremely small skullcap on the very top of the wig is a vestigal coif, worn only by serjeants-at-law. Caption reads "He resisted the temptation to cross-examine a Prince of the blood"; Vanity Fair, 5 March 1870
