CHANGES being suggested to traditional court dress have been met with mixed reactions in Worcester.

The 17th Century horsehair wig, probably the British legal system's most recognisable emblem, is just one piece of attire which could be consigned to legal history under changes being put forward by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg.

A £110,000 study, entitled Working Court Dress, aims to find out how court dress affects the public's view of the justice system and its confidence in it.

But legal bodies at Worcester Crown Court were unsure whether an updated dress code was a good idea.

Some believe the traditional attire should stay because it part of the judicial system's identity. Others believe it is old-fashioned and has no place in a modern society.

"I'd love to lose the wigs," said barrister Kate Bex. "They're completely outdated and are not appropriate for 2003.

"Gowns should be kept as these are readily identifiable to clients and to others. Wigs though are just a faint amusement to people now - and they itch."

Mike Roberts, of Worcester solicitors Kiernan & Co, said it was "about time we moved with the times".

"Horsehair wigs in particular are a thing of the past and have no place in today's courts."

But Birmingham barrister James Dunstan disagreed.

"I think we should probably keep them. It would be a shame to lose wigs and gowns.

"They add a flavour to proceedings in a beneficial way and I can't see why members of the public would be put off by them in any way," he said.

The proposed changes have been described as modest rather than radical.

High Court judges might be losing their traditional attire but will not be going to work in ordinary business dress.

"There's no justification for retaining working court dress on the grounds of tradition alone. Our courts are not a tourist attraction," the study paper by the Lord Chancellor's Office says.

"Society has moved apace in the decade since the last consultation exercise was undertaken.

"I believe it's necessary for a fresh, balanced view to be taken on how comfortable non-professional court users are in a modern civil or criminal court environment," said Lord Irvine.

The plans are on the internet - at www.lcd.gov.uk - and people have until Thursday, August 14, to have their say.

n Is the way the judiciary dresses out of date, or an intimidating aspect of our courts? Or is it one more tradition we should save? Write to Voice of Worcester, Evening News, Hylton Road, Worcester WR2 5JX.