Court dress: Encyclopedia II - Court dress - Judges

Court dress - Judges

Generally judges in the Family and Chancery divisions of the courts wear the same black silk gown as QCs, as do judges in the Court of Appeal. All judges wear a short wig when working in court, reserving the long wig for ceremonial occasions.

Judges in the highest court, the House of Lords, do not wear court dress at all (although advocates appearing before them do), instead suits are worn. On occasions on which law lords are present as members of the House of Lords in a legislative capacity they are attired as other members.

It is in intermediate courts that try cases at first instance (with a jury in criminal cases) that court dress is the most complicated.

Court dress - High Court judges

When dealing with first-instance criminal business in the winter, a High Court judge of the Queen's Bench division wears a scarlet robe with fur facings, a black scarf and girdle (waistband) and a scarlet casting-hood or tippet. When dealing with criminal business in the summer, the judge wears a similar scarlet robe, but with silk rather than fur facings.

When he tries civil cases, he wears in winter a black robe faced with fur, a black scarf and girdle and a scarlet tippet; in summer, a violet robe faced with silk, with the black scarf and girdle and scarlet tippet.

Court dress - Circuit judges

A circuit judge (in the County courts or the Crown court) wears a violet robe with lilac facings. As well as a girdle, the judge wears a tippet (sash) over the left shoulder - lilac when dealing with civil business and red when dealing with crime. Ordinary day dress is worn beneath the robe.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Judges", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki