Lawyer thinks it’s ‘appalling’ there isn’t a lock on the door
There have been a number of thefts from the Royal Courts of Justice robing room, with one poor barrister losing his wig and gown.
The news was broken on LinkedIn by Goldsmith Chambers’ Dominic D’Souza, who Legal Cheek recently applauded for his eccentric social media personality. He mourned the loss of his Bose headphones, while revealing his co-defending counsel’s barrister garments had been lifted too.
A wig and gown, when purchased together, can cost about £500. Bose headphones range in price from £100 to £910.
Speaking to us about the incident, D’Souza added that another barrister’s tie was also taken. However he said the thief, “upon reflection”, returned the tie some hours later.
Criminal law specialist D’Souza thinks it’s “appalling” there isn’t even a standard code lock on the robing room door, nor CCTV at the historic High Court building. He went on:
[I]t seems no one feels the slightest compunction to provide the bar with the most basic protection for their possessions.
This is not the first time a barrister has had their precious wig pinched by a thief.
One Crown Office Row’s Matthew Heywood suffered a similar fate. His horsehair was stolen from his car while he was on holiday. The human rights specialist went as far as to pin up signs in his local area, Hove, appealing for its return. Unfortunately, Heywood is yet to be reunited with his wig.
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