Why lawyers wear black coat?



HISTORY

The origin of the black and white dress code lies in the 17th century. The black and white color is not chosen randomly. There is a legitimate logic behind the black and white color code for the lawyers. In the February of 1685, King Charles II died.  People start wearing a black and white gown to offer to mourn his death. From that time this uniform for lawyers is designed. If we see the previous pictures, we can find people used to wear a wig and a gown that was to award a degree of anonymity to lawyers and judges.  We can find that attire in old photos. Since that time white and black dress has become an official dress code for the lawyers.

The main reason behind wearing a black coat is because black is the color of authority and power. Black represents submission of oneself. Just like priests wear black to show their submission to God, lawyers wear black to show their submission to justice.
As a lawyer is the only hope of justice for a common man, the color white is chosen to represent him. As the Indian culture is highly influenced by its British rulers, the Advocate’s Act of 1961 makes it mandatory for a lawyer to wear a black robe or coat with a white neck-band on top of it.






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