TIL that British judges and lawyers wear white wigs to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity to the courtroom
TIL that British judges and lawyers wear white wigs to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity to the courtroom
In the late 17th century, wearing wigs became a common practice in law. But why has it endured for so long?
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I thought it was to cover up syphilitic lesions and just kinda stuck around.
That might be wigs in general, probably not specifically their use in the British legal system.
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That's pretty much what the article says
Wigs began to catch on in the late 16th century when an increasing number of people in Europe were contracting the STI. Without widespread treatment with antibiotics (Sir Alexander Fleming didn't discover penicillin, the treatment for syphilis until 1928), people with syphilis were plagued by rashes, blindness, dementia, open sores and hair loss. The hair loss was particularly problematic in social circles.
This fucking culture, man. People getting dimensia and going blind, but if they loose their hair then their friends abandon them.
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To be fair it might have been the fear of catching the disease plus the stigma (it was associated with prostitution and bohemian lifestyle).
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It was also a thing of class since white powdered wigs where taxed more if remember right. Cant have the poor people looking pimp in white wigs!
That typo made me chuckle.
Ah me to corrected.