Ireland’s judges end expensive tradition of horse hair wigs

throwback to bad times,aping the british,get rid of this old fashioned reminder of a foriegn judiciary..

The last sentence of the article completely wrong. It should read: For the last few years judges are referred to as 'Judge' or in the Irish language, 'A Bhreithimh'.

GeorgeDillon: a phleidhce amadáin, can you go one message without making a fool out of yourself? Honestly, this website is full of your ignorance; how many times have I corrected you now mo chara cóir? You say that I am 'misinformed or, more likely, lying'. Well George in 2006 new rules were signed into effect changing the way judges in Ireland are addressed in court. The rule change was commenced by Statutory Instrument No. 196 of 2006, Rules of the Superior Courts (Mode of Address of Judges) 2006; and No. 274 of 2006: Circuit Court Rules (Mode of Address of Judges) 2006. George, are you aware that the US legal system is based on the British common law? The rest of your message is based on a misunderstanding of the rule change and in general Ireland.

Many judges in Ireland expect barristers to wear wigs in their courts, especially outside Dublin. It's their way of indulging in a power trip. In actual fact, there is no laws requiring a barrister to wear a wig, but it is not uncommon for a judge to just shout "I'm sorry, I can't hear you!" if a barrister appears in court bare-headed. What Ireland badly needs is a code of judicial behaviour that requires judges to observe at least a minimum standard of elementary courtesy, because some of them are downright rude bullies.

I found it very interesting that wearing of wigs will now be optional in Irish courts, etc. My maiden name is 'Judge'...my paternal grandfather was born in Leitrim. A few generations back our family name had been 'Brehan'....which my father told me meant 'judge or magistrate.' So I found this information interesting as it relates to my family from the Irish language. Thank you.

I know a few farmers who would be interested in any surplus wigs especialy if they were ginger.

kinvara is either misinformed or, more likely, lying. Despite kinvara's falsehood, simpering attorneys in Irish courts are still using the old British colonial phrase "M'Lawd". I heard it myself when I had to attend an "Irish" court a couple years back. It took 90 years of so-called Irish independence to get rid of the HORSESH1T --another 90 years for these "Republican" legal officials to get rid of the phrase "M'Lawd"? What a country of spineless poltroons Ireland is, and I suspect kinvara is a good example of his fellows.

About time. They should have been dropped after independence.

I love your sense of humor, Springfield9!

Bernie: There has been no such change regarding the manner in which an Irish Judge is addressed. Previously "My Lord" was used but this was done away with a few years ago and replaced with 'Judge' or in Irish 'Breitheamh'. As regards the wigs, just because they are no longer compulsory doesn't mean Judges won't wear them; wigs are no longer compulsory for barristers in Ireland, but they are still worn.

Portia77: the term 'Bar' does not come from British Accredited Registry, that is a myth. The bar as a term derives from the railing that separated benchers from the hall in the Inns of Court. Students who had attained a certain standing were "called to the bar" to take part in the important exercises of the Inns. Later, this was popularly assumed to mean the bar in a courtroom, which was the wooden railing marking off the area around the judge's seat, where prisoners stood for arraignment and where a barrister stood to plead.

The Irish have been wearing these dorky British wigs up until now? How pathetic. If that isn't an example of the Stockholm syndrome I don't know what is.

The purpose of the hose hair wig was to let everyone know that the other end of the horse was under it.

"Now Irish judges shall be referred to as, “Judge”, rather than the Irish language version, “A Bhreithim.” Well, considering we Irish are ruled by British law with the boys in curls swearing allegience to the British Accredited Registry, then it is right to get rid of our ancient Breitheamh- as our justice system was based on honour. There is no honour in 2011 in the Just US system. Remember people of Eiru- it is all an ACT , all rehearsed before hand in the back rooms, with the performance conducted by court jestors with maritime law being used as you stand in the dock. The curls were all part of the theatrics

That's one source less of bed bugs. But will M'Lawd (it's a so-called Irish Republic, remember) continue to talk HORSESH1T?