Hong Kong judges and barristers could wave goodbye to courtroom wigs in run-up to 2047, says city’s first chief justice
- Andrew Li predicts debates about continuing court dress code could emerge as city moves closer to end of Beijing’s 50-year handover pledge
- Barristers divided on subject of foregoing wigs, with some citing adherence to tradition, others calling headpieces impractical for busy lawyers
Silver horsehair wigs and long gowns have long been part of Hong Kong’s court attire for judges and barristers, passed down through generations as a part of its common law tradition.
The somewhat theatrical dress code also serves several practical functions: it is meant to deliver an image of solemnity, while also serving to distinguish levels of seniority among judges and barristers.
The tradition was retained after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 to acknowledge a theme of continuity.
But the city’s first chief justice after the handover, Andrew Li Kwok-nang, has predicted that debates about continuing the convention were likely to emerge anytime in the run-up to 2047, the end of Beijing’s 50-year pledge of a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.
“There will come a time when it would be appropriate to discuss whether there should be a change in our court attire, in particular, whether the wig should be abolished,” he told the Post in an exclusive interview.
“I don’t think there must be change. I’m saying that this question should be discussed in due course,” he said. “There will be tension between tradition and modernity.”
