I refer to letters about the question of the impact that the distinctive clothes worn by judges and barristers has on the course of justice in Hong Kong's courts.

I was living in Hong Kong at the time of the handover in 1997. In the run-up, this was one of the most hotly debated questions. The general consensus was that, while the retention of formal garb for a short period would help ease a smooth transition, the ultimate goal was to dispense with the practice, since it was felt to be a vestige of the territory's colonial past.

I had therefore assumed that judges and barristers were no longer wearing wigs and gowns in court in Hong Kong. I find it most odd that such an archaic practice should persist in Hong Kong, especially given that other colonial trappings, such as the prefix 'Royal' and royal crests, were long ago dropped by institutions like the police and the Jockey Club.