Ministry of Justice invites nominations for Honorary KC awards recognising impact outside court
Honorary KC nominations are open to eligible lawyers and legal academics who have made a significant positive impact on the law of England and Wales or the legal profession outside the courtroom.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is inviting nominations for the award of King’s Counsel Honoris Causa, with nomination forms required by 11:55pm on 18 September 2026. Nominations must be submitted through the MoJ’s digital form.
The award is an honorary distinction granted under the royal prerogative. It is separate from substantive King’s Counsel appointments, which recognise excellence in advocacy in the higher courts, and it is not a working rank.
For solicitors, the key distinction is that the award recognises contribution outside courtroom advocacy. The MoJ says nominations should demonstrate a significant, positive impact on either the shape of the law of England and Wales or the legal profession.
The criterion can include major contributions to the development of the law through research, influencing case law or legislation, promoting initiatives, campaigning, pro bono work or other advocacy outside the courtroom. Contributions to the profession can include initiatives supporting diversity and social mobility, widening access to legal careers, strengthening professional standards, or supporting professional development and culture.
The MoJ also identifies innovation, outstanding academic work and international initiatives as examples of contributions that may qualify. The central consideration is the scale of the individual’s impact rather than simply the length of service. The award is not intended as a long-service award.
Eligible nominees include solicitors, barristers, chartered legal executives, trademark attorneys, patent attorneys, licensed conveyancers, costs lawyers, notaries and probate practitioners. Qualified lawyers may be practising or non-practising and can work in private practice, in-house roles, public service, regulation, the third sector or other settings.
The scheme also covers eligible legal academics and is open to foreign-qualified professionals and eligible lawyers and legal academics based overseas. There are no residency or nationality requirements.
However, two eligibility restrictions are particularly relevant. A practising barrister or solicitor advocate who has appeared as an advocate in the courts of England and Wales within the past two years is not eligible. An individual is also ineligible if they received an honour through the main UK honours system within the past two years or have been nominated for such an honour this year.
Anyone can make a nomination and a legal background or UK residence is not required. Eligible individuals can also self-nominate. There is no limit on the number of nominations that can be made for an individual, and the panel does not assess candidates based on how many nominations they receive.
Nominators should note that substantive letters, statements of support or other supporting materials will not be accepted or considered by the panel. Supporters can instead be named in the nomination form, with the required confirmation from the endorser.
The selection process is administered by the MoJ. A panel comprising representatives from the legal profession, civil service, judiciary and academia will consider nominations and provide the Lord Chancellor with a shortlist of recommended nominees. The Lord Chancellor will make the final recommendations before they are referred to His Majesty the King, who grants the awards under the royal prerogative.
The MoJ states that provisional timings provide for the panel to meet and shortlist nominees in November, criminal record checks for shortlisted nominees in November, final recommendations in December, announcements of successful nominees in January and a ceremony in March.
The Ministry has also scheduled webinars for prospective nominators and those supporting nominations. The remaining listed webinar is on 2 September 2026, from 10am to 11am.
The MoJ says nominations received after the 18 September deadline cannot be considered.