Monarchist League of New Zealand Inc.
It will no doubt come as a surprise to most people to learn that the New Zealand Cabinet decided on the 22nd of March
and the 13th of June 2002 that the title of Queen's Counsel (QC) will be replaced by that of Senior Counsel (SC). The
newly renamed SC will be appointed, like QC's, by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Attorney-General
with the concurrence of the Chief Justice.
This renaming was revealed in the August 2002 Crown Law Office briefing to the Attorney-General. There was no press
release or other public announcement at the time the decisions were made. Perhaps the Government didn't want to invite
criticism in the lead-up to an election. There is no justification for dropping the style of Queen's Counsel. The sole
reason must be a wish to remove all references to the monarchy.
Dr Noel Cox
Chairman