Barristers win right to go without wigs in court after campaigners branded the hairpieces ‘culturally insensitive’
The trend of wearing white wigs was started by Louis XIV of France.
In the mid-17th century, a balding scalp was considered a sign that someone had syphilis.
By the 16th century, sexually transmitted diseases had reached epidemic levels in Western Europe. Patients could endure rashes, joint pain, and fever, eventually going blind, experiencing heart problems, mental disorders, nerve problems, and eventually dying.
Hair loss is a rare symptom of the disease that can occur in the secondary stage of infection.
However, the king concealed his scalp using a wig to avoid any association with syphilis.
This trend, II. It spread rapidly through the upper and middle classes in Europe, including Britain, where Charles followed suit.
But courts have been slower to embrace this trend; many continued to use their natural hair in forensic portraits.
By 1685, shoulder-length full wigs had become part of proper court dress because barristers were also seen as part of middle-class society.
By the 1820s, wigs were out of fashion, but coachmen, bishops, and those in the legal profession continued to wear them.
Coachmen and bishops ceased in the mid-1830s, but the courts still continued the tradition.
In 2007, wigs were no longer required when appearing in family or civil courts or before the UK Supreme Court.
Wigs are still used in criminal cases, and some lawyers choose to wear wigs in civil cases.
There are several reasons why lawyers still wear wigs.
Most widely accepted is that it brings a sense of formality and seriousness to hearings. A barrister, wearing a gown and wig, represents the rich history of the common law and the supremacy of law over litigation. There are also arguments that wearing wigs provides a visual distinction between the law and its predecessors.
A judge may, at his or her discretion, suspend court attire in situations where it might intimidate children in court or during hot weather. So it’s really more about symbolism than any rules.
Source: Lawyer Portal
