why lawyers and judges have to wear wigs in court?
It's just a tradition, dating back to when "court" meant an audience before the local sovereign ruler. Back then it was part of the protocol for appearing before someone superior to you, and a token of respect for the sovereign. We keep the tradition today as a token of respect for the gravity of…
The Short Answer
It's just a tradition, dating back to when "court" meant an audience before the local sovereign ruler. Back then it was part of the protocol for appearing before someone superior to you, and a token of respect for the sovereign. We keep the tradition today as a token of respect for the gravity of the circumstances. Justice, as the kids might say, is "serious business." Different cultures have different standards for court dress. In commonwealth countries court dress includes robes of various kinds and *sometimes* wigs, but most wearing of wigs was dispensed with about four years ago. In the United States, we still expect judges to wear judicial robes, but everyone else is generally expected to present themselves in business daywear — though the standards for *that* have slipped considerably in the past half-century as well — and we don't do wigs.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Court, wigs, tradition
This explanation focuses on court, wigs, tradition and spans 141 words across 6 sentences. At 96% above the average Society explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “It's just a tradition, dating back to when "court" meant an audience before the local sovereign ruler.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 6 connected points.
How This Compares in Society
Ranked #49 of 500 Society questions by answer depth (top 11%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why why lawyers and judges have to wear wigs in court?
It's just a tradition, dating back to when "court" meant an audience before the local sovereign ruler. Back then it was part of the protocol for appearing before someone superior to you, and a token of respect for the sovereign. We keep the…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Society questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 141 words, ranked #49 of 500 Society questions by depth. The key concepts covered are court, wigs, tradition.
What approach does this answer take to explain why lawyers and judges have to wear wigs in court?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 141 words. It is categorized under Society and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.