- published: 23 Sep 2010
- views: 3217
Court dress comprises the style of clothes prescribed for courts of law, and formerly for royal courts.
Court dress is worn at hearings in open court in all Senior Courts of England and Wales and in county courts. However, court dress may be dispensed with at the option of the judge, e.g. in very hot weather, and invariably where it may intimidate children, e.g. in the Family Division and at the trials of minors. In the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council counsel wear court dress, but their Lordships are dressed in conventional business attire.
Court dress is not worn at hearings in chambers and in the magistrates' courts.
See Courts of England and Wales.
English advocates (whether barristers or solicitors) who appear before a judge who is robed, or before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom or Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, must themselves be robed.
All male advocates wear a white stiff wing collar with bands (two strips of linen about 5"/13 cm by 1"/25 mm hanging down the front of the neck). They also wear either a dark double-breasted suit (or with waistcoat if single-breasted) or a black coat and waistcoat and grey pinstriped trousers. The black coat and waistcoat can be combined into a single garment, which is simply a waistcoat with sleeves, known as a bar jacket or court waistcoat. Female advocates also wear a dark suit, but often wear bands attached to a collarette rather than a wing collar.
(When I was a young girl I used to dream of a lover
To be my shining knight of strength one day
He'd cary me to a castle in the heavens and battle all my dragons on the way
And he'd ride down on a great white horse he'd bring me love I was longing for
He'd bring me joy and lasting peace on a great white horse he'd ride away with me
Singing dum-di-de-dum-dum-dum-di-de-dum)
When I was a young man I used to dream of a maiden
With long soft hair flowing in the wind
Her laughing eyes and loving arms would follow
When I'd sail around the world and back again
And I'd ride down on a great white horse I'd bring the love she was longing for
I'd bring her laughter and sunny days
And on a great white horse I'd carry her away
Singing dum-di-de-dum-dum-dum-di-de-dum
(The time has flown I find there are no dragons) and I don't wanna sail the seven seas
(Anywhere we are becomes our castle) and the only world I want is here with me
And we both ride on a great white horse we found the love we were longing for
(You're my sunshine on a rainy day) you're my April you're my May
Singing dum-di-de-dum-dum-dum-di-de-dum
Singing dum-di-de-dum-dum-dum-di-de-dum