When taking judicial office in a superior court, a barrister loses the title of Queen's Counsel and only regains it if new letters patent are issued after the person leaves office. Conversely, since the appointment of Senior Counsel is not by letters patent, when a Senior Counsel takes office, there is no doctrinal reason why the title of Senior Counsel is lost. However, this is customarily not done, and the New South Wales Bar Association instructs that "QC" and "SC" postnominals should not be used for superior court judges.