British Judges go Star Trek

[Lakie]

BRITISH judges have abandoned a 300-year-old tradition of wearing horsehair wigs to a chorus of mockery from fashion critics and traditionalists, who say the new robes have turned them into Star Trek look-a-likes.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, felt the old-style wig and gown look was out of touch with the 21st century and thought it was time to go bare-headed.

So from October, judges hearing civil and family cases in England and Wales will don a new robe designed by Betty Jackson, who also makes "funky British clothes for aspiring funky British girls.''

They will wear simple black gowns fastened with poppers (snap fasteners) and decorated with gold, red or lilac bands depending on their seniority.

"We've tried to keep a link with tradition. The idea of collar bands is retained in the coloured bands. It's quite a big thing after 300 years of history,'' Ms Jackson told The Times.

Critics say the itchy, hot and old-fashioned wigs made judges look out-of-touch and outdated.

But not everyone is happy with abandoning what is seen as a worldwide emblem of the legal profession.

Lord Phillips said: "Quite a lot of judges are not in favour of change because it is a break with tradition.''

And he failed to convince judges hearing criminal cases - they argue that wigs add to the dignity of the occasion and also offer anonymity - villains find it harder to recognise them out of court.

A majority of barristers, sounded out about the change, also wanted to stick with the wigs.



Could you take a judgement seriously if the judge was wearing that?

[Steve]

i bet it cost a fortune to chage to, lol, i dunno why things nned to change all the time.

[Lakie]

Supposedly cheaper in the long run ^o)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/13/law.fashion

I think the designer had just watched Equalibrium, that robe is a dea ringer for what the Grammatron Clerics wear, or put it this way, what the Judicial peoples in that file would wear...

[Steve]

Equilibrium is an ace film tho

[Lakie]

yeah, its one of my favorites...

[atholon]

they loook like religious leaders now

[Mauser 98K]

ministry of love lookalikes now,

[Hellfighter]

i seen some of them judge's robs on the history channels, pass years from 1600-1900. i think black rob maybe white collar beside other things. normal judge rob be better.

those look more like on the line dark side to me, if you stand under a black light it would look wacky as hell.

black, blue rob with blood stain to boot from drinking a glass of blood and some of it got on the chest of the rob

new rob for the vampire judges, you hear any screaming in the court house you know whats happing to the old judges


i say this trash the judge wig and keep the old stander judge rob as it been for the pass 300yrs