3 mo. ago • 94%

TIL that British judges and lawyers wear white wigs to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity to the courtroom

people.howstuffworks.com Why Do British Lawyers Still Wear Wigs?

In the late 17th century, wearing wigs became a common practice in law. But why has it endured for so long?

Today I Learned (TIL) @lemmit.online TIL that British judges and lawyers wear white wigs to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity to the courtroom

59 comments

I thought it was to cover up syphilitic lesions and just kinda stuck around.

110
- That might be wigs in general, probably not specifically their use in the British legal system.
  
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  Permanently Deleted
  
  8
- That's pretty much what the article says
  
  18
  
  Wigs began to catch on in the late 16th century when an increasing number of people in Europe were contracting the STI. Without widespread treatment with antibiotics (Sir Alexander Fleming didn't discover penicillin, the treatment for syphilis until 1928), people with syphilis were plagued by rashes, blindness, dementia, open sores and hair loss. The hair loss was particularly problematic in social circles.
  
  This fucking culture, man. People getting dimensia and going blind, but if they loose their hair then their friends abandon them.
  
  45
- It was also a thing of class since white powdered wigs where taxed more if remember right. Cant have the poor people looking pimp in white wigs!
  
  12
  
  That typo made me chuckle.
  
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Just looks dumb to me but what do I know

63
- If you've ever been inside a British courtroom, you'll discover that they regularly act dumb, too. Lots of pomp and circumstance, but its still the same clueless, vulgar assholes under the hood.
  
  34
- I think that's intentional. It proves their dominance. I mean you have to go to them and they are wearing something very silly and you have to pretend it's not silly, and if you don't they will harm you somehow.
  
  29
  
  Laugh at a lawyer wearing a wig, and they will come to your house at night and cut you!
  
  10
  
  Just some good ol' oppression of the prol's through class.
  
  4
- You know they look dumb as hell, so you have what going for you at least
  
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Welp. Considering it does none of those three things, maybe it's time for them to go the way of the buggy whip

46
- Not from Britain but trying to get new slang every day what is a buggy whip.
  
  11
  
  The whip used to whip the horse(s) pulling your horse-drawn buggy.
  
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  Just an example of something outdated that's not needed anymore
  
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I know people are here going like "it makes them look silly." Good. Lawyers need to feel like they look silly. This is a group of people that needs to be taken down a peg every single day. If judges and lawyers can be made humble just a little bit we all benefit in society.

38
- They need to be pegged two or three times a day.
  
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- They think they look good tho
  
  4
Wigs are so much a part of British criminal courts that if a barrister doesn't wear one, it's seen as an insult to the court.
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Most are handmade from 100 percent horsehair, though there are synthetic versions available today, too. Horsehair wigs aren't cheap, either, especially when they're handmade and combine an ages-old craft of styling, sewing and gluing. A judge's full-length wig can cost more than $3,000
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Those who couldn't afford the best garb but wanted to look the part wore wigs made of hair from goats, spooled cotton or from the hair of human corpses

This is the stupidest and most disgusting thing I've read today, thanks.

29
- Hair is already dead and animal hair (can't remember which animal) is also used for the best brushes used for painting. IMO as long as the hair is washed which it obviously is, it's not really disgusting.
  
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  The Siberian Weasel’s hair is used in kolinsky sable brushes for water colour, and sometimes acrylic painting.
  
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  Its disgusting to use a being's body without their consent.
  
  -6
are they aware that their attempt at solemnity makes me giggle

18
- I had a lot of trouble taking the courtroom scenes of Broadchurch seriously
  
  5
We need to stop treating courts and judges like they are sone mythical magical place and judges are mini little emperors in their mini little kingdom. It's just a fucking place people need to go to handle their business. Why the fuck should everyone stand because the guy showed up for his job. All this shit is too much and judges are increasingly out of their minds

13
- Its all a façade because the system is designed to screw you, and grind upon the face of the poor. Justice? More like just-us.
  
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That's stupid, they're stupid.

12
Time to ditch the Guy Fawkes mask for a powdered wig instead

11
What it brings nowadays is a bit of yassss, queen!

11
- Serving court
  
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to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity

That's exactly why Rip Taylor wore a wig, too.

11
Barristers in Australia wear these also.

9
Amazing cause it does all of those things so damn poorly. You're thinking of Diamond encrusted ivory full head masks instead

7
"May I approach the bitch?"

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And just a bit of fun!

2
Looks just as silly to me as pantaloons or suits or fedoras

2
Taking hair isn't necrophilia

1
In 2024 it's just stupid and ridiculous and borderline racist

-14
- Racist?
  
  21
  
  The bleach blonde, white European aristocracy hairstyle wig was designed to show that only certain people were welcome in the club
  
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- Oh dip, is gray hair cultural appropriation now? Fuck now I got to buy hair dye.
  
  8
  
  The hairstyle is very clearly styled after white, European aristocracy. Always saw it as more bleach blonde than grey
  
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  Age is now a race I guess
  
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