*/
Shelley White sets out the revised guidance on court attire.
Of the many issues of import which have faced the Bar over the last 18 months the question of court dress has perhaps received disproportionate attention.
In July 2007, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, then Lord Chief Justice, announced that civil judges would swap traditional court dress for a continental style gown. He then sought the views of the Bar regarding court attire.
The extensive consultation by the Bar Council, which included inviting the views of every barrister in the country, illustrated the great variety and strength of feeling on the topic. The overwhelming majority responded in favour of retaining traditional court dress and it is following the Bar’s wish to retain the status quo that the Revised Guidance on Court Dress was issued by Desmond Browne QC, the Chairman of the Bar on 2 June 2009 (for further information visit:
www.barcouncil.org.uk/assets/documents/Court%20Dress20020609.pdf).
Need for certainty
Despite efforts to keep revision to a minimum there will inevitably be some changes. In some cases there was no established practice prior to the guidance being issued; whether hearings were robed or not simply depended on the views of the particular judge. In light of that, it was an overwhelming theme of barristers’ responses that they wanted clarity as to what to wear. The Revised Guidance is therefore intended to provide real benefit of certainty.
Any new guidance takes time to settle in, however should there be any continuing concerns, please send them to janbye@barcouncil.org.uk and they will be passed to the relevant Committee for consideration.
Please note: there may be minor adjustments to the Revised Guidance and they will be posted on the Bar Council website: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Shelley White is a barrister at New Square Chambers and a member of the Bar Council’s Legal Services Committee and Young Bar Committee.
Of the many issues of import which have faced the Bar over the last 18 months the question of court dress has perhaps received disproportionate attention.
In July 2007, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, then Lord Chief Justice, announced that civil judges would swap traditional court dress for a continental style gown. He then sought the views of the Bar regarding court attire.
The extensive consultation by the Bar Council, which included inviting the views of every barrister in the country, illustrated the great variety and strength of feeling on the topic. The overwhelming majority responded in favour of retaining traditional court dress and it is following the Bar’s wish to retain the status quo that the Revised Guidance on Court Dress was issued by Desmond Browne QC, the Chairman of the Bar on 2 June 2009 (for further information visit:
www.barcouncil.org.uk/assets/documents/Court%20Dress20020609.pdf).
Need for certainty
Despite efforts to keep revision to a minimum there will inevitably be some changes. In some cases there was no established practice prior to the guidance being issued; whether hearings were robed or not simply depended on the views of the particular judge. In light of that, it was an overwhelming theme of barristers’ responses that they wanted clarity as to what to wear. The Revised Guidance is therefore intended to provide real benefit of certainty.
Any new guidance takes time to settle in, however should there be any continuing concerns, please send them to janbye@barcouncil.org.uk and they will be passed to the relevant Committee for consideration.
Please note: there may be minor adjustments to the Revised Guidance and they will be posted on the Bar Council website: www.barcouncil.org.uk
Shelley White is a barrister at New Square Chambers and a member of the Bar Council’s Legal Services Committee and Young Bar Committee.
Shelley White sets out the revised guidance on court attire.
The age of criminal responsibility, extreme weather and conflict resolution – plus, new protocol for reporting bullying at the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP discusses her decade as a trade union and employment law barrister, the demands of life as a Law Officer and the number one priority shaping her work. Interview by Anthony Inglese CB
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
Why every major sporting event needs an anti-corruption policy. By Louis Weston
At least not that way, says Richard Paige
