WEBVTT - Short Stuff: Wigs in English Court

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<v Speaker 1>Hey there, and welcome to the short stuff. I'm Josh,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's Chuck and there's Jerry. Let's get to it.

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<v Speaker 1>Why do you lawyers were wigs in Britain? Go? You

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<v Speaker 1>know what's funny is when I was researching this, it's

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<v Speaker 1>really funny to me to look at modern pictures of

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<v Speaker 1>these And I don't want to make fun of it,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is funny in two thousand nineteen to look

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<v Speaker 1>at photos of barristers and judges wearing powdered wigs. Just

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<v Speaker 1>let me say that out loud before did you just

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<v Speaker 1>say that out loud? Like you see them outside? There's

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<v Speaker 1>pictures smoking a cigarette on their on their smartphone wearing

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<v Speaker 1>these wigs, right playing. Um, before we get started, a Chuck,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to differentiate between a barrister and a solicitor,

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<v Speaker 1>which I did not know until today actually in difference. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought maybe one was like a defensive ernie and

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<v Speaker 1>one was a prosecutor like we have here in the US. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>that's not the case. A solicitor is like the lawyer

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<v Speaker 1>that you go meet with outside of court, uh and

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<v Speaker 1>maybe advises you on family and children matters, or bankruptcy

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<v Speaker 1>or divorce or something like that, and then they might

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<v Speaker 1>negotiate contracts that kind of thing. But then when you're

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<v Speaker 1>in court, you're represented by a barrister, and the barrister

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<v Speaker 1>works with the solicitor to understand your case. But it's

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<v Speaker 1>the barrister who's petitioning the court on your behalf. So

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<v Speaker 1>they're both working like for the people, they're not prosecuting somebody.

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<v Speaker 1>But that's the difference. One of the other differences, at

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<v Speaker 1>least one of the most obvious and apparent differences between

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<v Speaker 1>a barrister and a solicitor is that you don't see

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<v Speaker 1>solicitors wearing wigs. You do see barristers wearing wigs. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's a short stuff within a short stuff, the difference

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<v Speaker 1>between barristers and solicitors everybody. That's just an s s.

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<v Speaker 1>It's so short. So to the wigs, there are a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of reasons are called Peruke's um that over the years,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll get to the whole fashion of the whigs

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<v Speaker 1>in a minute too, but uh, there are several reasons

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<v Speaker 1>why they wore them to begin with him. While they

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<v Speaker 1>still might wear them in certain cases. Um one of

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<v Speaker 1>the main reasons is to give it a more formal proceeding, um,

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<v Speaker 1>a more solemn proceeding. Another big reason is it's a

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<v Speaker 1>safeguard almost like and that I've seen the word disguise used.

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<v Speaker 1>It's very bad disguise because it's just the wig. Oh yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I hadn't noticed that. But in the in criminal court,

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<v Speaker 1>they it's supposedly lends to anonymity, these robes and wigs.

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<v Speaker 1>So where if this criminal sees their attorney on the

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<v Speaker 1>street six months later, they might be like, I don't

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<v Speaker 1>even recognize the guy. He looks familiar, but if only

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<v Speaker 1>he had a powdered wig on, I might be able

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<v Speaker 1>to knife them in the tube. Can't quite place him.

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<v Speaker 1>So uh, that is sort of what they represent. And um,

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<v Speaker 1>they have been a part of the court system over there,

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<v Speaker 1>um not forever, but since what year? Uh, since six

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<v Speaker 1>five at least. Yeah, previously that they didn't use these wigs,

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<v Speaker 1>which is interesting. It is interesting because at the time

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<v Speaker 1>wigs were already all the rage in Europe and had

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<v Speaker 1>been for a few years. But I guess the court

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<v Speaker 1>system was like, no, we're going to not take part

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<v Speaker 1>in this ridiculous fashion trend. And I guess just portraits

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<v Speaker 1>from the early sixteen eighties even um just showed like

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<v Speaker 1>people without wigs on, and then all of a sudden, bam,

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<v Speaker 1>wigs start showing up in the portraits. And they've been

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<v Speaker 1>there ever since, even long after wiggs fell out of fashion.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean wiggs were only fashionable for less than a

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<v Speaker 1>hundred years, actually far less than a hundred years, No,

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<v Speaker 1>about a hundred years, let's say, And then and then

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<v Speaker 1>they were gone, and the British court system wherever it

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<v Speaker 1>popped up around the world, um hung onto these wigs

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<v Speaker 1>for another like two hundred, three hundred years. Yeah, and

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<v Speaker 1>there you know, as far as the whigs themselves, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you can get a little bit of variety, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>not like you can walk in there with your rainbow

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<v Speaker 1>afro wig, um, John. They're generally similar barristers have you know,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a little little frizzed at the top. They have

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<v Speaker 1>the horizontal curls on the side and the back and

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<v Speaker 1>then the very very back the mullet section. You have

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<v Speaker 1>these two long strips um below the hairline with a

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<v Speaker 1>little looped curl. The the judges themselves have the much

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<v Speaker 1>more ornate wigs that's more full, um very long, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>super long. These are the one you know. That's how

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<v Speaker 1>you can tell the difference. When you see the the

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<v Speaker 1>dude with a big, huge, full long wig, that's a judge.

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<v Speaker 1>When you see the little little one sitting on top,

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<v Speaker 1>standing outside the court house with your smartphone and your cigarette,

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<v Speaker 1>that's a barrister and the judge. His wig looks very

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<v Speaker 1>very much like a seventies rocker hair. Do if you

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<v Speaker 1>step back and look at it? Yeah, like really, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>trying to think of who, like maybe like a tour

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<v Speaker 1>manager for led Zeppelin or something like that. All right, maybe,

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<v Speaker 1>although he famously did not have long hair, but sure

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<v Speaker 1>who Phil Graham? He was ball on top? Was that

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<v Speaker 1>his name? He was the promoter? Okay? Phil Graham was alright,

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<v Speaker 1>well man. He used to stick people up. He would say, like,

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<v Speaker 1>if if you don't give us an extra hundred thousand dollars, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>my boys aren't going on stage, like five minutes before

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<v Speaker 1>they were supposed to go on. He was pretty legendary

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<v Speaker 1>piece of work. So as far as the wigs, oh

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<v Speaker 1>they're expensive. Um. Judges can throw down about three grand

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<v Speaker 1>on a wig. Um. The barristers may spend anywhere from

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<v Speaker 1>five hundred to a thousand. These are dollars, not pounds. Yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and uh, they're made of horsehair. UM. Traditionally have always

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<v Speaker 1>been made of horse hair if you can afford it. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>just because of tradition. It's not like horse hair is

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<v Speaker 1>some super valuable thing, but some have been made through

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<v Speaker 1>other things like goats hair or just cotton, or maybe

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<v Speaker 1>a dead human or or even a live human. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>At the time, back in the day, humans would donate

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<v Speaker 1>their long white hair kind of like locks of love.

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<v Speaker 1>But rather than you know, for people who have survived cancer,

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<v Speaker 1>it's for the courts. And rather than for love, it's

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<v Speaker 1>for money. So it doesn't really bear that much of

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<v Speaker 1>a resemblance although hair was involved. But the the horse hair,

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<v Speaker 1>it's like you said, it's not prize. It's this tradition.

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<v Speaker 1>That's what they were made out of originally, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>why they continue to be made out of. UM. But

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<v Speaker 1>that's not to say they're just like thrown together. These

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<v Speaker 1>are UM remarkably well made where they're supposed to be.

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<v Speaker 1>For for a very long time, they were very well made,

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<v Speaker 1>UM artisan crafted wigs. All right, let's take a break.

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<v Speaker 1>We're gonna come back and talk a little bit more

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<v Speaker 1>about the history of these wigs, and while on Earth

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<v Speaker 1>they're still wearing them right after this as why skol

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<v Speaker 1>definite should ski all right, So the history of wigs here. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>it may surprise you to know that a big reason

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<v Speaker 1>these wigs started to be worn is because syphilis was rampant. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it seems like everybody had syphilis. Yeah. And one of

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<v Speaker 1>the things that could happen when you have syphilis, aside

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<v Speaker 1>from blindness and rashes and dementia and open source as

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<v Speaker 1>you can lose your hair. So what it maybe unfairly

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<v Speaker 1>because male pattern baldness is a thing anyway, if you

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<v Speaker 1>lost your hair and you're a prominent person, but a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people probably looked at you and said, well

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<v Speaker 1>he got syphilis. Yeah. Plus, at the time, long hair

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<v Speaker 1>on men was very much in fast and that does

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<v Speaker 1>not go well with syphilis if you're if you're balding.

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<v Speaker 1>So wiggs came into play, and they might not have

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<v Speaker 1>come into play as strongly as they did had it

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<v Speaker 1>not been for Louis the fourteenth, the King of France,

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<v Speaker 1>the same king who um they believe had syphilis, and

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<v Speaker 1>he started wearing wigs himself. He reigned from sixteen forty

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<v Speaker 1>three to seventeen fifteen, and he was a huge trend setter.

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<v Speaker 1>So when he started wearing these powdered wigs, everybody started

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<v Speaker 1>wearing powdered wigs, and not just in France and not

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<v Speaker 1>just among his court, but in courts and the aristocracy

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<v Speaker 1>and the upper classes of all of Europe, including in England,

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<v Speaker 1>which was rained by Charles the Second at the time,

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<v Speaker 1>who was the cousin of Louis the fourteenth. And also

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<v Speaker 1>maybe he had syphilis. Yeah, syphilis. Everywhere you get syphilis,

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<v Speaker 1>you get syphilis, you agains hyphilis. Uh. And like you said,

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<v Speaker 1>it spread through all of aristocracy. Um, finally it fell

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<v Speaker 1>out of fashion over time. Um that like you said, well, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>didn't take that long for the whigs to fall out

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<v Speaker 1>of fashion, would you say, less than a hundred years. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>By by the time King George the Third, who was

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<v Speaker 1>presiding over England during the American Revolution, when he was

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<v Speaker 1>in charge, it was really just basically, um, Coachman, bishops,

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<v Speaker 1>and I believe the court and in the eighteen thirties

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<v Speaker 1>the church or the Anglican Church that bishops don't need

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<v Speaker 1>to wear those anymore. I don't know when Coachman stopped

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<v Speaker 1>wearing them, but then like we're with the bishops, right,

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<v Speaker 1>then the courts are um. They just kept it up

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<v Speaker 1>from that point on. Yeah. So finally in two thousand

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<v Speaker 1>seven there was a court challenge, UM, an actual like

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<v Speaker 1>suit brought forward to say can we not wear these

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<v Speaker 1>wigs anymore? And there was a ruling that said, uh

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<v Speaker 1>that that technically did away with barrister whigs, but entirely

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<v Speaker 1>because that was only in civil court um or appearing

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<v Speaker 1>before the Supreme Court. But in criminal cases they were like,

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<v Speaker 1>keep those wigs on everybody, and I believe they still do, right. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>that's what I couldn't quite figure out. Like I read

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<v Speaker 1>like in this article it says until two thousand eleven

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<v Speaker 1>when the practice was discontinued, Well that was with judges.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh okay, alright, that makes more sense now, barristers in

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand seven, judges in two thousand and eleven. But

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<v Speaker 1>I believe that in criminal cases both barristers and judges

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<v Speaker 1>are still required to wear wigs or else it's a

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<v Speaker 1>real affront to the decorum of the court. Yeah. Like

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<v Speaker 1>I was reading articles from last year that talked about

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<v Speaker 1>the fact that they were still trying to get it

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<v Speaker 1>not mandatory for criminal cases, but I think they are

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<v Speaker 1>still wearing them and it had a sweeping effect, like

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<v Speaker 1>everyone around the world that had that worked in the

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<v Speaker 1>legal system of a country that was a former British colony,

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<v Speaker 1>whether in Africa, whether also Astralia, whether Canada, or just waiting.

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<v Speaker 1>Actually I think Canada did away with him before, but

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<v Speaker 1>it's like they were just waiting to pull these wigs off. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>Jamaica got rid of their's in two thousand thirteen, Australia

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<v Speaker 1>got rid of their's finally in two thousand ten. So

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<v Speaker 1>whatever lawsuit that was in two thousand seven, that had sweet,

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<v Speaker 1>like literally global effects. Yeah. I mean one of the

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<v Speaker 1>articles I read talked about in England the heat they're

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<v Speaker 1>in the summertime heat. Yeah, in the summertime, these rogues

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<v Speaker 1>and these wigs, they were like that, it's just like

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<v Speaker 1>it's a problem and they just should just file a

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<v Speaker 1>petition or whatever. That just says to whom it may concern,

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<v Speaker 1>Come on, this is ridiculous. It's two thousand nineteen the end. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>we look silly. Yeah, although in Hong Kong they they

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<v Speaker 1>are still with it from what I understand. So if

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<v Speaker 1>you want to go see your lawyers and your judges

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<v Speaker 1>wearing traditional wigs. Go to Hong Kong. I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>the upshode of the shorts. Yeah, go commit a crime

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<v Speaker 1>in Hong Kong. There you go. Um, thanks a lot

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<v Speaker 1>for joining us. If you want to get in touch

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<v Speaker 1>with the shoot us an email, why don't you send

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<v Speaker 1>it off to Stuff Podcast at how stuff works dot

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<v Speaker 1>com