Law digest: 11 September 2008

Practice Direction (Court Dress) (No 5), [2008] WLR (D) 285

From 1 October 2008, all judges and members of the High Court Masters Group (which includes masters of the Chancery or Queen’s Bench Division, district judges of the principal registry of the Family Division, bankruptcy registrars and costs judges), other than circuit judges, will wear the new civil gown without a wig, or bands, wing collar/collarette. Circuit judges will wear their existing gown and lilac tippet without a wig, or bands, wing collar/collarette. Barristers or solicitors sitting in a judicial capacity will wear their practitioners’ dress without a wig. Tabs at the neck of the new civil gown will indicate the rank of judge: Court of Appeal, gold; High Court, red; members of the High Court Masters group, pink; and district judges, blue.