Judges
Until 2008, judges in the Family and Chancery divisions of the courts wore the same black silk gown and court coat or bar jacket as QCs, as did judges in the Court of Appeal. All judges wore a short bench wig when working in criminal court, reserving the long wig for ceremonial occasions, and a wing collar and bands.
From autumn 2008, judges in all civil and family cases began to wear a newly designed robe with no wig, collar or bands, over an ordinary business suit and tie, with the exception of circuit judges in the county court, who opted to retain their former style or robe, but without wig, wing collar and bands.
Members of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords (or "Law Lords") and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council have never worn court dress at all (although advocates appearing before them do). Instead they were dressed in ordinary business clothing. Since the creation of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, the Justices of that Court, being former Law Lords, have retained the Law Lords' tradition of sitting unrobed.
Read more about this topic: Judicial Clothing, Commonwealth Countries, England and Wales
Famous quotes containing the word judges:
“If one judges love according to the greatest part of the effects it produces, it would appear to resemble rather hatred than kindness.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“Although your knowledge is weak and small, you need not be silent: Since you cannot be judges be at least witnesses.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“The judges of normality are present everywhere. We are in the society of the teacher-judge, the doctor-judge, the educator- judge, the “social worker”-judge.”
—Michel Foucault (1926–1984)