Why does the judge wear that special hat?

First of all, it should be emphasized that judges in China don't wear special hats, and only some common law countries have this habit.

It is one of the most distinctive traditions of English courts that judges and lawyers wear wigs in court. In some former British colonies deeply influenced by the British judicial system, we can also see this cultural imprint with British characteristics, such as the China Special Administrative Region.

Why do British judges and lawyers wear wigs? Many people who study history have put forward various explanations, but it is difficult to convince everyone.

Some people say that in the Middle Ages, overwork and illness made judicial personnel lose all their hair prematurely. In order to hide their "cleverness" in public, wigs became popular and became a scene of the British court.

Some people say that judges wear wigs to show respect, and lawyers wear wigs to cover up and protect them to some extent, because they are worried that their defense results will not be recognized by the defendants and their families. But this is not so much a reasonable explanation as a joke made up by people who have problems with lawyers to discredit them. Because according to a recent survey, 57% lawyers are not satisfied with wearing wigs and want to take them off. The reason is that these wig made of horse hair are expensive but unsanitary. Generally, a wig will last a lifetime. A lawyer's family has a 94-year-old antique, which has been handed down for four generations and can be called a family heirloom.

According to the research of historians and folklorists, the fashion tradition of wearing wigs in Britain began in 12 century. At that time, it was not just the patent of judges and lawyers. People in the upper class regard wearing a wig as a fashion, a formal dress for formal occasions or salons, and a symbol of social status.

Wig fashion began with King Louis XIII of France, especially in the17th century, which was also marked by many industries. However, the French Revolution and the American Revolutionary War washed away the muddy water, and the revolutionary party changed its customs and swept away the signs of various status classes. At present, only the court systems in Britain and a few countries keep this habit. Judges in Britain and former Commonwealth countries and regions including Hong Kong wear a shawl wig on their heads, lawyers wear small wigs, and judges and lawyers wear robes, usually black. The trial under this decoration gives people a sense of ceremony. It is said that by wearing a black robe and faking the law, a judge can hide his true colors, get rid of selfish distractions and become the embodiment of the rule of law, truth, goodness and beauty.