The prospective advocate is placed under the care of a devilmaster, who traditionally must not be a Queen's Counsel. The pupil follows a programme of training as laid down by the Faculty of Advocates. The process has an ancient heritage, as it is the legal right of the Faculty of Advocates to admit persons as advocates to the Courts of Scotland. This right was apparently granted by the College of Justice.
Ireland
Devilling is a period of training undertaken by barristers in Ireland where they work under a more senior barrister who is called their master. A barrister is called to the bar after successfully completing the course of barrister-at-law in the King's Inns, but during their first year of practice, they must devil for one year. It is common for barristers to also devil during their second year of practice. The work is generally unpaid and there is no obligation on the master to cover the costs of the devil. A barrister who has not devilled may still be recognised as fully qualified by the bar associations of other EEAmember states, and practise in those member states in accordance with the relevant European Union directives.
The term is used in the English legal system to refer to a junior barrister undertaking paid written work on behalf of a more senior barrister. The instructing solicitor is not informed of the arrangement and the junior barrister is paid by the senior barrister out of his own fee as a private arrangement between the two. This is one of the exceptions to the usual prohibition on fee sharing under the Code of Conduct for Barristers in England and Wales.
Treasury Devil
The "Treasury Devil" is the colloquial term for the First Junior Treasury Counsel, a private practitioner barrister who represents Her Majesty's Government in the civil courts, instructed by the Treasury Solicitor. It was a tradition that the Treasury Devil was made a High Court Judge after the end of his term in office. There is no current Treasury Devil. James EadieQC, who was appointed in 2009 when he was already a QC, holds the position of First Treasury Counsel. Treasury Counsel should not be confused with the criminal barristers appointed to the Treasury Counsel team who are responsible for prosecuting the most serious criminal cases. The team is headed by the "First Senior Treasury Counsel " and is composed of ten senior and seven junior Treasury Counsel. Treasury Counsel are so-named because historically they were also instructed by the Treasury Solicitor, although criminal prosecution is now overseen by the independent Crown Prosecution Service.
