Category: Society/Culture; gt; Religion
Analysis:
The wearing of wigs by judges and lawyers in court is one of the most distinctive traditions of British courts. First, we can also see this cultural imprint with British characteristics in some former British colonial areas that were deeply influenced by the British judicial system, such as China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Why do British judges and lawyers wear wigs? Many people who study history have put forward various explanations, but it is difficult to convince everyone.
Some people say that in the Middle Ages, overwork and disease caused judicial officers to lose their hair prematurely. In order to conceal their "extreme intelligence" in public, wigs became popular and became the custom in Britain. A scene from the courtroom.
Some people say that judges wear wigs to show their high moral standing, while lawyers wearing wigs can conceal and protect them to a certain extent because they worry that the results of their defense will not be recognized by the defendant and his family. recognized. But this is not so much a reasonable explanation as a joke made up by people who have had issues with lawyers to discredit them. Because according to a recent survey, 57% of lawyers are dissatisfied with wearing wigs and want to take them off. The reason is that these wigs made of horsehair are very expensive and unhygienic. Generally, one wig needs to be used. Once upon a time, there was a family of lawyers who owned a 94-year-old antique that had been passed down for four generations and was considered a family heirloom.
According to research by historians and folklorists, the British fashion tradition of wearing wigs began around the twelfth century. At that time, it was not just a patent for judges and lawyers, but also worn by people in the upper class. Wigs are considered a fashion and a formal dress for formal occasions or salon gatherings.
Experts point out that there are differences between wigs used by the judiciary and ordinary wigs. In England, judicial wigs have three curls on each side, while royal wigs have only two. Whether this represents a subtle metaphor is unknown. But the Scots always love to quarrel with the English, because in Scotland, the situation is just reversed. The royal family members use three curly wigs while the judicial officers only have two curly wigs.
Generally, a judge's wig costs more than 1,500 pounds (equivalent to about 18,000 yuan in RMB, wow, it's not cheap), and the most common wig is no less than 300 pounds.
When it comes to British judges or lawyers, the gray and slightly curly wigs naturally come to mind. For people outside the legal tradition of the Commonwealth, although wigs have become a symbolic feature of Commonwealth legal professionals, such an outfit does not automatically give off a solemn and majestic look. On the contrary, it often gives the viewer a strange feeling. From time to time, I would sweat for them, worrying that the barrister's graceful bow would slip off and make a fool of himself in court. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, once said, "(British judges) are like mice peeking out from under cotton wool." The device also caused a child who testified in court to burst into tears, leading the UK's Special Court, which specializes in cases involving teenagers, to cancel the wig entirely.
The history of wigs can be said to be ancient, and there are relevant records in the documents of ancient Egypt and the ancient Roman Empire. However, it is generally believed that it became popular among the upper classes in Europe around 1620, when Louis XIII wore wigs in order to cover up his baldness, which caused the nobles who often visited the court to imitate. Later, it became popular in Europe, so much so that even women wore various wigs. Attend social events. By the 1760s, this fashion was spread to the British Isles by King Charles II. The seventeenth-century Englishman Samuel. The diary of Samuel Pepys truly records the history of the popularity of wigs in Britain. On November 2, 1663, Pepys learned of the rumors that both the king and the duke would wear wigs. The next day, he eagerly shaved off his hair and ordered wigs made. Pepys wrote: "It is still a little sad to say goodbye to my hair, but it is over and I will wear a wig." It can be seen that wigs are popular in Britain and role models play a great role.
Commonwealth lawyers wore wigs when appearing in court or participating in major ceremonies. This was entirely due to the fashion at the time and there was no mandatory legal requirement. Hundreds of years have passed, and wigs are no longer fashionable, but have become a conservative image of legal practitioners following tradition. And wigs are unhygienic, too hot, scratchy, and even a little ridiculous. However, it is difficult to change. People habitually associate wigs with status, identity and even justice. After solicitors obtained the right to appear in court, they made several unsuccessful submissions to the House of Lords because they were not qualified to wear wigs. Many defendants also gave priority to barristers who could wear wigs to defend them. It is said that whether they wear wigs or not It is also directly related to the ability to persuade the jury!