Court Mourning Dress

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JacobH
Quinta do Vesuvio 1994
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Court Mourning Dress

Post by JacobH »

At the start of the year, we had a brief discussion about court dress and court mourning dress at a virtual offline. As is well known, court dress is still used quite widely in courts in the UK, mostly for serious criminal cases before courts which sit with a jury but also for a range of different civil cases, too. Barristers wear a gown, a shirt with a stiff collar and bands and, most infamously, a horse-hair wig. There are slightly different rules for solicitors, Queen’s Counsel and Scottish advocates.

The late Sir Henry Brooke’s website has an interesting page about what would happen during periods of court mourning. Barristers would replace their normal bands with “mourning bands” that have extra pleats in them whilst judges and QCs would sew “weepers” at the end of their cuffs. Apparently the last time that court mourning was officially declared was back in 1991 although it seems a few people wore mourning dress unofficially when the Queen Mother died. Unofficial mourning has a long tradition at the Bar: the barristers’ gown is actually a mourning gown (with a small mourning hood attached), the Bar having gone into mourning for Charles II back in 1685 and never left it...

At the offline, we had some discussion as to whether it would happen again on the death of a significant royal. The answer is that it appears not. The Lord Chief Justice put out an announcement referring to “National Mourning” but made no comment about court mourning. I think the biggest problem is a practical one. Since it is 30 years since the kit was used frequently, half the Bar no longer owns it and Ede & Ravenscroft no longer have a stockpile ready to send out!

Rather to my amusement, Ivy and Normanton, a new company which was set up recently to provide court dress for women (who were really badly served by the traditional suppliers) has somewhat stepped into the breach, advertising that they would make a batch almost as soon as the announcement came out, although since mine arrived today there isn’t much scope for wearing them before Monday. I guess we will have to see whether the interest they have generated will mean that it is declared when Operation London Bridge takes place.
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Chris Doty
Graham’s Malvedos 1996
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Joined: 12:30 Fri 29 Jan 2010

Re: Court Mourning Dress

Post by Chris Doty »

“Livayat HaMet, the accompanying of the dead to their final burial place, is considered one of the most important of all the mitzvot.

Why? Because it is considered to be the only truly selfless act; it is the only “favor” you can do for another without any expectation of the favor being returned.

Helping another in their transition from this world to the next is the supreme human obligation.

It will happen to us all, yet no one truly understands how this transition takes place. We can only guess, and try our best to help.”

I see you 👀
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Chris Doty
Graham’s Malvedos 1996
Posts: 843
Joined: 12:30 Fri 29 Jan 2010

Re: Court Mourning Dress

Post by Chris Doty »

Btw, this was my shop

https://www.stanley-ley.co.uk/

Can’t believe it’ll soon be 20 years (?!) since my first purchase... can I really be so old???!!!
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Doggett
Morgan 1991
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Re: Court Mourning Dress

Post by Doggett »

Chris Doty wrote: 16:49 Fri 07 May 2021 Btw, this was my shop

https://www.stanley-ley.co.uk/

Can’t believe it’ll soon be 20 years (?!) since my first purchase... can I really be so old???!!!
Orange jump suit with free handcuffs??
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Chris Doty
Graham’s Malvedos 1996
Posts: 843
Joined: 12:30 Fri 29 Jan 2010

Re: Court Mourning Dress

Post by Chris Doty »

Btw, thanks Jacob — next hottie I “know” gonna be familiar with

https://www.stanley-ley.co.uk/acatalog/ ... es_18.html
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