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In England, cooler heads may prevail

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 6, 2007

LONDON - Before Baron Nicholas Phillips was appointed to the position of Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, he said he thought that traditional courtroom costumes - the colorful robes and tightly curled white wigs that made every case look like the set of a History Channel special - were ridiculous.

Now that he's in charge, he's considering ditching them. A new study implies that the wigs and gowns may intimidate the public, giving Phillips an excuse to consign the outfits to history.

In addition to freshening the look, it could save a lot of money.

Lawyers believe the latest review will conclude that a less formal style should be adopted for most cases.

John Cooper, a London criminal lawyer and a member of the Bar Council - the authority representing senior lawyers - said lawyers expect the wig and gown to be preserved only for criminal matters.

"The weight of opinion among barristers is to see the attire retained for criminal cases, and the public agree - it is one of the only things they actually like about the legal profession," he said.

In 2002, a government-ordered Opinion Research Corp. poll of 2,000 people found 42 percent favored retaining traditional dress for all lawyers and judges. Support for wigs in criminal cases was stronger; only 27 percent said judges in such cases should go bareheaded. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Cooper said many lawyers believe their attire has a practical purpose.

Some lawyers in serious criminal cases, he said, welcomed the partial disguise.

Costly costumes

Wigs: They cost as much as $1,600.

Perukes (long wigs): They run up to $4,000 each.

Gowns: Several are required, including red for criminal cases, black for civil work and scarlet for Red Letter Days. Some judges can dress in blue or violet for summer.

Clothing budget: A High Court judge is given an allowance of about $30,000 and a circuit judge gets about $20,000.

[Last modified January 6, 2007, 00:08:38]