Question for Aussie friends-

I am watching Rake..... great show.

what is the difference between a solicitor, a barrister and a “silk?”

Hi!

We’ve discussed Rake several times, so searching archives may help with some other queries. 
The character and original writer are from Albury, where I was living when I first ‘met’ LibraryLady and joined MOL. Waterstreet is somewhat infamous there - one of my radio volunteers loved telling me about his youth. 

So: a solicitor is your average lawyer, and does ‘general’ work. Usually, your solicitor will instruct a ‘barrister’ to appear for/with you in court, speaking the archaic formal language and referring to precedents etc that will help support your case while rebutting the forceful arguments of the other side.  (There’s extra study and examinations before this law professional is admitted to the Bar, after which they’re referred to as a barrister.)

The ‘silk’ is an alternative term for KC/QC: King’s or Queen’s Counsel. Those titles are now old-fashioned and were generally replaced with Senior Counsel a couple of decades ago. They’re called ‘silk’ because their robes have fancy silk collars and ribbons. 

This might be a better explanation

https://austbar.asn.au/for-the-community/what-is-a-barrister

Rake is great.

Have you ever watched "Rumpole of the Bailey"? From that you can certainly learn about solicitors, barristers and "taking silk" to become a QC

Yes, used to watch Rumpole.

Joyce and I had to visit Old Bailey when we were in London. Also got a tour of Lincoln Court.

Thanks, Joanne.

Was "Father Ted" Australian?

Sorry, got distracted doing chores (it’s Saturday morning here).

Father Ted is Brit. Sorry! Ask Ridski for more info on that one  

What’s more than a little sad is that our modern politics here is very like the worst of the cringeworthy bits of Rake, and getting worse. And the perpetrators are blithely unaware that community standards have moved on quite a bit. That’s why we’re happy about the Inquiry into Media Ownership (that is, Murdoch’s stranglehold). 

Father Ted is set in Ireland, but made by a British production company.

It’s writer, also gave us the brilliant IT Crowd, is unfortunately an insufferable wanker.

Speaking of IT Crowd, Richard’s two series Gadget Man and Travel Man (?) are fun if you’re into his brand of humour. It’s like a day of spontaneity and mayhem with my birth family, I don’t even have to think about the mental translations; meanwhile my married-into family chuckles and thinks ‘how quaint’...