Oh No: UK Judges To Lose Their Wigs!

The collaborative Canadian law blog Slaw.ca refers to an article in The Times of London according to which English judges are being consulted between now and Christmas on whether they want to abandon their famous wigs.

Apparently, according to The Times, there is lots of pressure from different quarters to get rid of the headgear that goes back to the Restoration Era of the late 17th-century.

I say: No, No, No!

I mean, I can understand that Irish judges want to drop fancy-schmancy titles. And if the Irish are going to get all modern on us, I guess Indian judges may want to give up their titles from British colonial times.

But not the British! The role of the Brits on this planet is to preserve silly old traditions. Give up the wigs? What's next? Driving on the right side of the road? The tabloids becoming respectable? Edible cuisine? Republicanism?

Please don't let us down!

Earlier Library Boy posts about wigs:

• Why Do Lawyers and Judges Wear Funny Robes and Wigs? (February 26, 2006): "If you have ever wondered about the origins of court attire in the common law jurisdictions, especially the United Kingdom, there is an interesting book out that is also available in PDF format: Legal Habits: A Brief Sartorial History of Wig, Robe and Gown. Published by Ede and Ravenscroft, suppliers of wigs and robes to the British legal profession for a few hundred years, this small volume by Thomas Woodcock covers the history of judges’ robes, barrister’s gowns and wigs."
• More Court Changes in the UK (April 7, 2006): "The Judiciary of England and Wales has launched a new website that includes current court rulings, judges' speeches, court reports on legal issues, information on what UK judges do, and quizzes to educate the public on how the UK court system works... And yes, the website even has lots of materials on why UK magistrates have to wear those funny looking wigs."