British lawyers wearing wigs
No doubt British lawyers look quaint wearing their wigs and gowns. It makes them look respectable and authoritative.
But the wigs are supposed to add solemnity to court proceedings. They’re supposed to confer uniformity and anonymity among the lawyers. And they’re supposed to honor a hallowed legacy.
Growing opposition to wearing wigs
But a vocal minority is taking exception to this customary practice. And yes, Black lawyers are in the vanguard of this growing opposition.
Britain’s traditional 17th-century court wigs are ‘culturally insensitive’ and should be banned, a leading black barrister has claimed. Leslie Thomas, QC, said the white Georgian-style hair pieces look ‘ridiculous’ on black advocates and are ‘fashioned for Caucasian hair.’
It came after Michael Etienne, a black barrister with an afro, was told he risked being in contempt of court if he refused to wear one – before suggesting the tradition was an example of ‘hair discrimination.’
(Daily Mail, February 11, 2022)
There’s no denying the discrimination inherent in those Black lawyers’ complaints. And, as fate would have it, the US Congress gave credence to their complaints mere weeks later.
The House on Friday passed the Crown Act, legislation that would ban discrimination against individuals based on how they choose to wear their hair.
Among the hairstyles mentioned in the legislation are those ‘in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locks, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros.’
(The Washington Post, March 18, 2022)
This US legislation is all about a person’s inalienable right to wear (and show) their hair in its natural state. And it exposes the fundamental flaw in this UK tradition. Requiring lawyers to wear wigs is paternalistic and anachronistic in equal measure.
I too had to wear white wigs
I am also licensed to practice in the UK. And I can attest to the ridiculous nature of wearing those old-fashioned, white wigs. I even preempted my UK brothers’ complaints. Because I vented them over 15 years ago in “Hey, Tony, What’s Up with the Brothers Wearing White Wigs.”
Mind you, the UK introduced a new dress code in 2007. It phased out wigs in most civil cases. But it kept them in all criminal cases. That’s why Black barristers who appear in such cases are complaining.
But many White lawyers still enjoy the look of pomp and prestige the wig and gown represent. But I marvel at the abiding contradiction.
After all, the British revere and respect men in drag who happen to be lawyers and judges. But they jeer and disrespect men in drag who happen to be fairies and queens.