Law Weblog

Wigs in the news again

Friday 24 March 2006 at 12:30 am | In News | Post Comment

Lord Phillips the Lord Chief Justice says he wants to do away with wigs for judges and barristers in civil cases. The chairman of the Bar Council made a similar comment in an editorial in the Bar Magazine.

Solicitor advocates have complained that they appear “inferior advocates” because they are not permitted to wear wigs but solicitor QCs are allowed to wear them.

In May 2003 the Department for Constitutional Affairs held an enquiry which cost £100,000 into the wearing of wigs in courts.

As Lord Donaldson put it, “There is no urgent need to go discarding something which has been out of date for at least a century”.