One of Alex's duties as Lord Chancellor is to swear in barristers as King's Counsel, in a ceremony in Westminster Hall.
Here he is following the event, together with the mace-bearer and purse-bearer. Addressing KCs, Alex said:
"The title of King’s Counsel has for centuries been a mark of quality, setting apart those who achieve it as the very best of our jurisdiction. The rank signifies the highest regard for legal ability, for diligence, for professionalism and for integrity. And, for Honorary KCs, it recognises an exceptional contribution to our legal system outside of legal practice.
Your success is no less than our country’s success. What you have achieved, and will continue to achieve, contributes to this jurisdiction, to the kind of country we are, and the kind of country we aspire to be – our standards and our values."