{UAH} How African courts glorify colonialism with wigs and gowns

How African courts glorify colonialism with wigs and gowns

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Sika-Ayiwa Afriyie Safo Jun 9, 2019 at 12:00pm

Sika-Ayiwa Afriyie Safo is an African writer, poet and storyteller from Ghana. She is passionate about telling African stories from the African perspective, with an utmost focus on cultural and social issues. Sika is in love with food, books, music and fashion.

A group of freshly minted lawyers at their call to the bar

The tradition of wearing horsehair wigs, perukes, 'a term derived from the French word perruque (weaving wig)' and gowns by the judiciary predates the 15^th Century. In the 14^th Century, during the reign of King Edward III, the accepted costume for nobles who appeared before the Court of the king was the robe.

Later in the 17^th Century, the gown was adopted together with the peruke (horsehair wig) as the formal apparel of judges and lawyers, a bid to differentiate the elite from the commoners.

Originally, judges were required to wear purple robes on ordinary days, and red robes in ceremonial instances and criminal matters with the possibility of a death sentence decision. After the death of the king, however, they were changed into mourning gowns of black, a change that was later adopted by all.

After half a century into the end of colonialism, courts in many parts of Africa still cling to this old English tradition. While the originators of this tradition have long abandoned it, some African jurists have written scholarly papers and given talks on why the wig and gown tradition should not be abolished in their courts.

Many African lawyers are against the wearing of wigs and gowns but they are faced with fierce opposition from legal bodies that set strict regulations. Last year, Ghana's Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, cautioned lawyers in the country to wear the wigs to "preserve the tradition".

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/how-african-courts-glorify-colonialism-with-wigs-and-gown?fbclid=IwAR0k4SSdEfDrXfF_nbsHNZPQqMDBmHSEKs0bfaJfCmI9T721N4LnQadadjk

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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