The Lieutenant Governor in Council (i.e. the provincial Cabinet) appoints Queen's Counsel, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. The Minister is required to consult with the Legal Appointments Board, which consists of five individuals appointed by the Minister: two are from a list recommended by the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, one is to be a lawyer from outside the metropolitan area of St John's, one is to be a bencher, and one is to be a lawyer with less than ten years at the bar. The appointments process has been criticised in the past as lacking transparency and being too open to political appointments. In 2017, the government appointed eleven lawyers as Queen's Counsel.