why do judges and lawyers wear those wigs in court??

Question

I mean...everyone I've ever asked always says to me "Because It's a tradition". But I wanna know why they do it...and where this "tradition" came from.

Answer 1

One reason why they wear the white wigs and the black robes is to do with the rapid turnover of monarchs in the tudor period. It was a protest, 'mourning' the illegal (as they worked the courts and knew the cases were rigged) execution of Marie Queen Of Scots (amongst others). The wigs denote experience (through size) and also denote they are 'different' from their normals selves whilst in court and putting their personal emotions aside; whoever you are, you always have the right to an impartial, professional lawyer. Trust me, no matter what your views on bias in the law you want both sides balanced; I've worked with 'string-em-up' types who soon change their tune when accused of speeding or a late tax disk. Then they are glad that defense and prosecution are both always impartial. This is the same thinking as behind many uniforms- for example police, army, nurses - all say 'while I am on duty, I put my own feelings aside and represent the law/state/medical system'.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

It just was always the case - wigs are a fashion of 400 years ago - and somehow it has become formalised in legal procedure rules. Let's add to this as far as English courts are concerned - 97% of criminal prosecutions in England never get further than the magistrates' court, in which a defendant can be represented by their solicitor and solicitors don't wear wigs. It's only in the other 3% where the offence carries a potential sentence of more than 6 months' imprisonment that it goes to the Crown Court and wigs come into play. A solicitor cannot be "heard" in the Crown Court so they have to engage a barrister, basically a jury trial specialist, and they are officially invisible in the Crown Court without a wig. And the defendant has to pay for both of them. The rule can be modified, though. I did jury service in the Crown Court 10 years ago in a hot and stuffy courtroom in the middle of summer and the judge gave permission for "wigs off". No doubt because he was feeling it himself - it's amazing how sweaty your head can feel if you're wearing something on it in hot and damp weather. But even so, it was only "wigs off" and not "gowns off" as well. There's a connection here with "why do priests dress up?" Traditionally, protestant ministers dress up like wigless barristers and it's about showing the position they have. To take it wider, why do people wear uniforms? It's to show what they are. Maybe one day it will change and there is something of a movement to change it - it's rather a barrier to people becoming barristers as a new wig from Ede & Ravenscroft costs the best part of £600.

Answer 4

Judges Wig

Answer 5

Although English legal dress has a long history, it has for the most part evolved in the same way as common law, without written regulation. Before the 17th century lawyers did not wear wigs, but professional discipline required that their hair and beards should be moderately short.

Nevertheless, the introduction of wigs into polite society in the reign of Charles II (1660-85) was an innovation which could not be resisted! After a period of disapproval, wigs were generally assumed by lawyers in the 1680s.

Early wigs are difficult to identify in portraits of the period because they were of a natural colour and were sometimes combined with a lock of growing hair at the forehead. However, wigs soon became larger and increasingly stylised. By the middle of the 17th century wigs of powdered white or grey hair were the universal custom, but during George III’s reign (1760-1820) wigs went rapidly out of general use.

Although bishops were given royal permission to abandon their wigs in the 1830s, this was not necessarily true of other officials. There is a story that Lord Eldon, the Lord Chancellor of the day, was refused permission to leave off his wig at court!

In the 1860s the counsel were permitted to remove their wigs during a heatwave - this attracted some comment in the press and it was suggested that wigs were abandoned altogether by the legal profession. However, the proposal met with little support, though it has been a common occurrence ever since for judges to allow wigs to be left off in very hot weather, and sometimes turbans are allowed to be worn instead of wigs on religious grounds.

Answer 6

Why Do Judges Wear Wigs

Answer 7

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gentlemen wore wigs in court and public occassions a couple hundred years ago because there was no running hot water and people did not bathe with great frequency. The smelled bad, and wore perfume, and wore wigs to cover up greasy hair. The tradition survived because lawyers and judges like being special.

Answer 8

Early wigs are difficult to identify in portraits of the period because they were of a natural colour and were sometimes combined with a lock of growing hair at the forehead. However, wigs soon became larger and increasingly stylised. By the middle of the 17th century wigs of powdered white or grey hair were the universal custom, but during George III’s reign (1760-1820) wigs went rapidly out of general use.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

It is supposed to be a sign of their knowledge and intelligence, but so called learn-ed men who wear wigs and black dresses beats me, by the way in France the dresses are RED ,