Wigless judges/Richter verzichten auf Perücke

From October this year, judges in civil cases in England, including family cases, will be wearing no wigs and new robes by the fashion designer Betty Jackson. Barristers and criminal-law judges will be keeping their wigs. Some say it makes it harder for villains to recognize them. At present, the judges wear several different types of robe on different occasions. The new robes dispense with wing collars and bands. The collar looks a bit like a dressing-gown (bathrobe to some). The exciting bit is two coloured stripes below the collar, recalling the different colours and styles of traditional robes. The Times reports: The gown is made of a dark navy gaberdine and wool mix, trimmed with velvet on the cuffs and facings. The version for women has a pleated white removable ruff. Coloured bands incorporated in the outfit are a nod to tradition and denote seniority. There is gold for the Court of Appeal judges and…