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- Feb 24, 2013
- Updated: 11:49am
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Right of abode? What about the right to wear wigs, ask lawyers
Law Society keen to preserve time-honoured tradition
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Litigation over the right of abode may be a prime concern in legal circles, but Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma Tao-li has another headache to work on: should solicitors be allowed to wear wigs in court like barristers?
The Law Society, with more than 8,000 solicitors as members, deems the wearing of wigs essential in helping to ensure justice is done.
But the Bar Association, which represents more than 1,100 barristers, thinks otherwise.
The disagreement stems from a new arrangement that will see solicitors representing and speaking on behalf of their clients in hearings in the High Court and Court of Final Appeal as early as April - alongside their barrister counterparts.
Other than judges, only barristers have the right to wear the 17th-century horsehair attire.
Stephen Hung Wan-shun, chairman of the Law Society's criminal law and procedure panel, said he was worried a difference in attire between barristers and solicitors could influence the perception of jurors serving in criminal trials.
"Our biggest concern is criminal hearings involving a jury," Hung said. "We would like to avoid any chances [of prejudice or unfairness]."
The Bar Association begs to differ. "It will confuse the public about the difference between the two specialities," chairman Kumar Ramanathan SC said. "If they want to wear wigs, why don't they call to the bar?"
Ramanathan disagreed that jurors might find solicitors less authoritative and convincing because they did not wear wigs. "It's just a sense of insecurity, and not the reality," he said.
The fashion originated in France in the 13th century after Henry III took to wearing one to hide his premature baldness.
While Hong Kong solicitors now want to don wigs, Britain started a debate a decade ago on whether to scrap the headgear among barristers.
Criminologist Stanislaus Lai Ding-kee, of City University, said the historical symbol of power should not be extended to solicitors, though he agreed some jurors might find it confusing if some legal advocates wore wigs while others did not.
"But the quality of jurors is not so low that they would associate higher authority with someone just because of a wig," he said.
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4:50pm
Quote
“Sun Yat-sen introduced the style shortly after the founding of the Republic of China as a form of national dress …
“a symbol of proletarian unity and an Eastern counterpart to the Western business suit …
“from 1965-76 when Mao himself died, the suit became widely worn by the entire male population …
“the Mao suit has been abandoned by some of the younger generation in urban areas, but is still worn by older generations during formal parties. It is also prevalent among Chinese peasants as casual dress.”
(2) I think our jurists look great, dignified and reliable in Mao jackets, compared with the robes, their current attire, that make them all look - honestly and without the slightest attempt to insult - like eunuchs.
(3) The wigs: Let’s be honest about how incredibly ridiculous oriental faces look in those beastly yellowish scalps.
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GM and AC
Please end the farce,
and make our judiciary truly independent and respectable in look
as well as in substance
12:54am
12:10pm
(2) "Mao suit" predates CCP.
(3) Respecting tradition of wig? You must be kidding. What tradition and why is it respectable? Worship what you want in guildhall, but not to force society to accept eyesores in a public court rooms.
(4) You’re murdering Americans with your jokes about common law traditions.
(5) Open your eyes / mind and see what died and what's alive.
(6) Lawyers must learn to outgrow witchcraft and practice real laws without silly pretensions.
1:17pm
1:14pm
Solicitors can don jester hats if they really feeling like being included.
It's a uniform folks.
12:08pm
9:06am
a masquerade?
These serious looking professionals are honest people
By their attire, they reveal what they really are
pretenders, stooges, clowns and jesters.
Those who take them serious
are worse fools, overwhelmed by what is clearly a barefaced
black and practical and insulting joke.
A colonial version of Fable of Bees
Private Vices and Social Scourge.
Let’s be honest and open-minded;
the picture shows HK’s pride or shame?
Are you going to teach your children
to look forward to those ridiculous things
as symbols of JUSTICE?
