Have you ever wondered why lawyers and judges in British courtrooms wear wigs like people did in centuries past? Besides many people viewing this ongoing practice as anachronistic, it’s not exactly cheap, either. These white-colored wigs are typically constructed of horsehair and even in 2007, a judge’s shoulder-length wig carried a cost of around 1500 British pounds while a lawyer’s shorter wigs would set them back some 400 pounds. According to the Reuters article, this policy was somewhat broken that year, but only in non-criminal cases. So what’s up with this tradition, anyway, and how did it get started in the first place?

Dressing appropriately in a court setting has always been the norm, particularly among lawyers and judges that conduct trials. British lawyers and sometimes judges initially included such wigs as a part of courtroom attire because it was believed that they symbolized an absence of bias and impartiality in the legal process. Odd as it may be in this day and age, this tradition has been upheld in criminal trials. Put simply, and to illustrate, a judge’s robe is intended to hide whatever he or she is wearing underneath, and the British court system takes this concept further by having one’s natural hair covered as well. Needless to say, one would think that a hat would do the job a lot easier!

At any rate, this tradition among courtroom officials in England dates back to around 1660. This was during the Restoration of the English monarchy. Charles II had returned from France at this time. In that country, the fashion of the court of King Louis XIV included powdered wigs. Soon afterwards, once Charles returned to England, this style became the rage among conscientious members of British society. Interestingly, at this time, England had just come out of a civil war between those who wore short hair and those with long hair. Who ever thought that something so trivial as one’s hairstyle would evoke a war? Nevertheless, once this conflict came to a close, wigs served as a great way to conceal any continuous divisions. They also covered up bald heads!

Basically, everyone in a “polite society” wore wigs and robes in those days, and one reason British judges and lawyers still wear them today is because nobody has told them to stop. Today, judges get an allowance to cover the costs of these wigs, but lawyers have to purchase their own. Because of the expense, used wigs are popular among the less-affluent lawyers. In 1992, the English court system debated this topic, and the wigs remain to this day.