A Sad Day for Wigs
Civil and Family Court Judges will no longer wear those fantastic wigs. From the BBC : The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, has announced there will be no change to the 18th Century-style garb in criminal courts. But judges and lawyers in family and civil courts have been ordered to ditch their wigs and wing-collars. The Judicial Communications Office said the changes would save £300,000 a year after a one-off cost of about £200,000. That would be spent on producing a new civil gown, a spokesman said. The decisions follow a £110,000 consultation paper on possible reforms, which was launched in May 2003. Lord Phillips said seasonal variations in the robes of High Court judges would be abolished. I wonder if Scots or Northern Irish judges will follow suit and ditch their wigs as well. Scottish court dress is very similar to English court dress, but there are notable differences. For example, Scottish advocates wear tail coats under their gowns, and wear white