Senate approves law obliging lawyers to wear gowns in court

The Senate passed a bill on Wednesday which obliges Czech lawyers to wear gowns when in the courtroom. The practice is already common in many other European countries, but under the previous legislation here only judges, lay judges and state attorneys wore special gowns when in a Czech court. The law must still be signed by Czech President Václav Klaus before it comes into effect. If signed, it will take effect this September. Details are yet to be finalized by the Czech Bar Association, but it is thought that lawyers’ gowns will be black with a blue rim. According to a spokesperson for the association, lawyers will have to cover the cost of the gowns themselves.