Not a single solicitor was among the 88 new Queen's Counsel appointments announced today. Of the 214 applicants, only two came from solicitor advocates; neither was successful.

Since 2008, six solicitors have been made QC. Last year two out of the five who applied were successful, while in the previous competition one from the 10 who applied succeeded.

Dame Joan Higgins (pictured), chair of the QC selection panel, said: ‘The panel is concerned that there appears to be considerable hesitancy on the part of solicitor advocates to apply for silk, even where they may be well qualified to do so.’

Of the successful applicants, 23 were women, down from the 27 appointed in 2011. Female applicants were proportionately more successful with 58% of the 40 women applicants being appointed, compared with 41% of men.

Six of the new silks are from an ethnic minority (40% of the 15 who applied), a lower proportion than in 2011 when 12 applicants (60% of those who applied) were appointed.

One employed advocate was appointed. The youngest to be awarded silk was 37 years old, the oldest 62.

Three of the five appointments of QC Honoris Causa went to solicitors. The awards recognise lawyers who have made a major contribution to the law of England & Wales outside practice in the courts. Those appointed were senior partner at City firm Clyde & Co, Michael Payton, who has worked on many major commercial disputes; Stephen Grosz, who has contributed to the development of equality and human rights law; and Charles Pritam Singh Dhanowa, whose work has greatly contributed to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) as registrar and co-architect of the CAT’s procedural rules.

Barristers Professor Dawn Oliver, emeritus professor of constitutional law at University College London, and legal academic and fellow of the British Academy, professor Sandra Fredman were also appointed.

The appointments are made following consideration by the independent selection panel, under arrangements introduced in 2005.

Congratulating those appointed, Higgins said: ‘The quality of applicants was again extremely high. Each year the panel has the difficult task of identifying excellent advocates on the evidence.’

She said: ‘The applicants who were unsuccessful will naturally be disappointed. But the standard for appointment is extremely high and requires excellence across all the competencies [understanding and using the law; oral and written advocacy; working with others; diversity and integrity].

‘If an advocate has not been successful on this occasion that does not mean that he or she is not a highly valued and effective practitioner,’ she added.

John Wotton, president of the Law Society said: 'It is disappointing that there are no solicitors among this round of new Queen's Counsel appointees, though only a small number put themselves forward. I remain convinced that solicitors have much to offer in these roles and encourage more to apply.'

The panel's decisions are based on evidence provided by the applicants themselves or by their assessors. The scheme, developed by the Bar Council and the Law Society, replaced the system run by the former Department for Constitutional Affairs.

The new QCs will formally become silks when they make their declaration before the Lord Chancellor at a ceremony on 30 March. The panel expects to invite applications for the next round of appointments next month.