"Q.C."

emanresu

In some news articles about the Shane Geoghegan murder trial,
Barry Doyle's barrister is called Martin O'Rourke QC.

Is he a UK barrister, and if so can barristers work in different jurisdictions?
or
can the letters QC actually be used in the Republic of Ireland?
or
is the use of the letters QC just a mistake by the journalists or editors?

I am guessing that it is simply a mistake, but I would be interested to know for sure.

blueythebear

emanresu wrote: »

In some news articles about the Shane Geoghegan murder trial,
Barry Doyle's barrister is called Martin O'Rourke QC.

Is he a UK barrister, and if so can barristers work in different jurisdictions?
or
can the letters QC actually be used in the Republic of Ireland?
or
is the use of the letters QC just a mistake by the journalists or editors?

I am guessing that it is simply a mistake, but I would be interested to know for sure.

He appears to be qualified in the Republic also as he was called to the Irish Bar in 1999 and in the North in 1987 if you check out the Barristers Database on www.lawlibrary.ie.

I'm not sure if QCs can operate down here as SC automatically. There seems to be some confusion in this area although I'm not a barrister and it would be a practising barrister that would be in a better position to answer this question.

Tom Young

He's listed as being a Northern Irish Barrister allowed to practice and possibly called to the Bar here. Not sure if he is a QC, not listed here as such, though that doesn't mean anything.

Letters patent Senior Counsel - SC, in Ireland are granted by the Government to Barristers who have practised for a period in excess of 9 years. QC is Queen's Counsel and operates similarly, and is granted by the Queen/State in the UK. It is a mark of seniority. Both are often referred to as silks, this is due to the silken robes they wear in court.

Tom Young

Q. 1: Yes, if called to the Bar here or with leave. Papers are marked FL to denote foreign lawyers. Ever heard of the Bosman ruling in football? It now applies to lawyers;

Q. 2: Yes, but letters are not granted here;

Q. 3: It might be a mistake, then again the journals were all over this. Maybe he is a QC now. Hard to confirm from here.

Jo King

Martin O' Rourke is a QC
http://www.barlibrary.com/barristers-directory/461/mr-martin-orourke-qc/

He would be entitled to practise here by virtue of his Irish call and also under the freedom of establishment laws of the EU. He would not be entitled to any precedence in court by virtue of being a QC but he is correctly styled as a QC by the newspapers. There have been some dual QC/SCs eg
Michael Ashe QC SC
http://www.9stonebuildings.com/ma_cv.shtml

Tom Young

I've seen a scenario where two QCs were allowed precedence here as foreign lawyers, with leave. Freedom of Establishment, that's the one!

Delancey

Anyone here remember the trial of Peter Robinson in Dublin for the border incursion he led over 25 years ago ?
At the Special Criminal Court just before his trial began his barrister ( Desmond Boal QC ) was sworn in a barrister to practice in the Republic.

Milk & Honey

Delancey wrote: »

Anyone here remember the trial of Peter Robinson in Dublin for the border incursion he led over 25 years ago ?
At the Special Criminal Court just before his trial began his barrister ( Desmond Boal QC ) was sworn in a barrister to practice in the Republic.

He was sworn in as an SC.