The Dress Code for Lawyers: in Search of Change with Climatic
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Global Journal of HUMAN SOCIAL SCIENCE Sociology, Economics & Political Science Volume 12 Issue 14 Version 1.0 Year 2012 Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA) Online ISSN: 2249-460x & Print ISSN: 0975-587X The Dress Code for Lawyers: In Search of Change with Climatic Compatibility in Bangladesh By Emdadul Haque Southeast University, Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh Abstract - Dress code is a part of dignity and professionalism with little exception. The outfit of Judges and Advocates with judicial robes seems a mark of dignity and loyalty towards court and justice. Americans refused to adopt the judicial attire of the British after independence. Almost all countries in the Indian subcontinent are in debt to the British for the development of their jurisprudence including dress code. Even, the British has relaxed wearing judicial costumes but these countries including Bangladesh have slight headache to suit the dress code for lawyers as per climatic conformity and culture even after the departure of the British. India has modified dress code for lawyers to a tiny extent but the practice is still like colonized India reminding silent domination of the British. This write up is a venture to explore the historical chronicles of the judicial attire across the world and theirs recent changing trends and practices with a view to seek a meaningful transformation in Bangladesh. Keywords : lawyers, dress code, bangladesh, climatic compatibility, adjustment, change. GJHSS-C Classification : 180121 The Dress Code for Lawyers In Search of Change with Climatic Compatibility in Bangladesh Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: © 2012. Emdadul Haque. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The Dress Code for Lawyers: In Search of Change with Climatic Compatibility in Bangladesh Emdadul Haque Abstract - Dress code is a part of dignity and professionalism for Court’s commitment to providing an appropriate and 12 0 with little exception. The outfit of Judges and Advocates with accessible environment (BBC, 2011). But the dress 2 judicial robes seems a mark of dignity and loyalty towards code of lawyers introduced by the British long ago is still ear court and justice. Americans refused to adopt the judicial attire in force in Bangladesh causing concerns among the Y of the British after independence. Almost all countries in the lawyers because of unsuitability and uncomfortability in Indian subcontinent are in debt to the British for the development of their jurisprudence including dress code. hot and humid weather in most parts of a year. Even, the British has relaxed wearing judicial costumes but The dearth of Indebt legal literature and study these countries including Bangladesh have slight headache to materials about prevailing costume jurisprudence in suit the dress code for lawyers as per climatic conformity and Bangladesh leads the writer to undertake this initiative in culture even after the departure of the British. India has a bid to depict the history, tradition and recent change in modified dress code for lawyers to a tiny extent but the countries to reconstitute the judicial costumes in practice is still like colonized India reminding silent domination Bangladesh keeping pace with climate, heritage and of the British. This write up is a venture to explore the historical culture, moral and social values. In this study chronicles of the judicial attire across the world and theirs Advocates, Attorneys, Counsel, Solicitor, Barrister, recent changing trends and practices with a view to seek a meaningful transformation in Bangladesh. Judges are branded as lawyers. Keywords : lawyers, dress code, bangladesh, climatictic II. Historical Chronicles of The compatibility, adjustment, change. Dress Code for Lawyers I. Introduction Volume XII Issue XIV Version I ) DDD D Beyond any reasonable doubt in science and C ndeniably, the close nexus between professionpr tetechnologyc the domination of either of the British or of ( and dress (Rahman, 2010) is visible all around ce America is still sustained even ranging from parliament n e the globe from time immemorial.ri Lawyers, U to the court premises in most parts of the world. ci Judges, Doctors, Army Personnel,nel, PolicePo Forces and Whether we prefer it or not we are to cite the British or Convict Prisoners follow fixed dress code as directed by al S America as the pioneer of all creativities, discoveries ci respective states. Wearing specific dressr code, lawyers o and inventions. The same fact is echoed while digging S are to sweat to earn in manyan countriesries wwithit sweltering out the historical chronicles of dress code for lawyers. climate. Question arises that should it be more This reminds the quotation of Dan Brown, an American uman according to the climate ratherra than protecting author of thriller fiction, the Da Vinci Code, saying history impressed legacy reflecting magnificenceen or pointing is always written by the winners. He further opines that f H ridicule. Judicial costume preserves respect for authority when two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the al o n and the status symbol of the court (Yablon, 1995) for winner writes the history books which glorify their own r u judges and advocates providing a degree of anonymity, cause and disparage the conquered foe. The English o mark of dignity, strength, discipline, decency, legal judicial costumes worn by the judges are the most al J fraternity and respect towards courts. Respect to the distinctive working wardrobe in existence for more than b court should be reflected by knowledge, and not by lo six centuries (Baker, 1978). The costumes for judges G dresses, anyways for disciplinary issues, dresses may were more or less established by the time of British King be decided according to culture and compatibility with Edward III (1327-1377) for attending the Royal court. The the climate of a particular country. Many countries have material for ceremonial dress or robes was originally changed judicial costumes for lawyers to get rid of the given to judges as a grant from the Crown. The division British colonial legacy and adjusted the same keeping of legal profession in England dates back to 1340, consistency with climatic compatibility paving the way paving the way for the evolution of professional advocacy (Waker, 1980). In 1340, in a public reaction Author : Senior Lecturer, Department of Law and Justice, Southeast University, Banani, Dhaka, Bangladesh. general people opposed the length of the judicial attire E - mail : [email protected] but the lawyers obstinately decided to adhere to the © 2012 Global Journals Inc. (US) The Dress Code for Lawyers: In Search of Change with Climatic Compatibility in Bangladesh long robes. The judges during medieval era wore violet famously wore a red wig in a Roman style while French robes in the winter and green robes in the summer. The Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV pioneered wig-wearing. In green summer robes fell into disguise by 1534 and after 1624 Louis XIII went prematurely bald and the fashion 1534 only the black and violet robes were usually worn. conscious king in absence of his natural curly hair used However, robes can be interpreted to mean wig to wear a wig to disguise his baldheadedness in a and gown (Abdulraheem, 2006). Apart from clergy and planned way. His successive king Louis XIV also went the military, legal professionals used to wear gown. In prematurely bald and opted for wig as a style leader. Europe as far as forensic dress is concerned, a Since then wigs were used as fashion which became scholastic and ecclesiastical tradition goes back to the almost universal for European upper & middle class days when long mantles were worn by the avocati- men by the beginning of the 18th Century. Other consistorial of papal courts and the lawyers of the rationales included ease of hairdressing, ease of 012 2 Roman Sapienza. Reverend advocates in ecclesiastical cleaning of hair, comfort while sleeping, ability to and secular courts used to wear toga which change styles and colours and class considerations as ear Y subsequently came to be the pleader’s uniform. Long wigs were expensive. Wigs were also used after shaving robes were imported into the courts first by the priest- of natural hair to get relieve from head lice. Around original judges and later by those who patronized the 1715, lighter wigs were used as fashion too. It dribbled courts since 13th century (Haque, 2012). In ancient its custom out of fashion until the 1720’s when it was Rome a judge used to wear a purple-trimmed toga only worn by professionals namely lawyers and doctors. when performing his duties as a judge to derive their After 1740, it was only worn by judges and had gone authority from monarchies or feudal lords. In England, completely out of fashion and reversed for ceremonial codification of rules for English judicial uniform occurred dress. Bands are official neckwear accustomed to use with the Judges' Rules, 1635. The Rules introduced no by clergy and lawyers.awyers. Bands used by clergy often change rather set out what and when the existing called preaching bands and worn by lawyers are usually costumes to be worn. After 1635 a black robe with a called barrister’s bands. Again the history of adoption of light colour fur or coat in winter and violet or scarlet bands credited to England where bands were used for robes with short-pink taffeta in summer were introduced.ed. legal, official aand ecclesiastical and academic use in the A black girdle or cincture was worn with all robes.