Authority vs. practicality in court

Should casual attire be allowed for lawyers?

By Kim Jae-won

The government has encouraged civil servants to dress casually in line with a campaign to promote energy conservation by setting air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius.

However, is it okay for lawyers to wear short sleeved shirts with no tie in courts?

A mixture of an unusually hot early summer and the government’s policy to limit air-conditioner use in offices amid worries over an electricity shortage has ignited a debate over the dress code in courts.

Attorneys say that the judiciary needs to loosen regulations at least during the summer to cope with rising temperatures.

However, the Office of Court Administration (OCA) and court officials say that it is up to judges to decide the dress code in their courts.

“It’s time to change the dress code to be more practical. Considering the high temperature and limited use of air-conditioners in courtrooms, wearing short sleeve shirts without a tie should be acceptable,” said Noh Young-hee, a spokeswoman for the Korean Bar Association, the biggest lobby group for lawyers.

Government offices do not run air-conditioners until the temperature rises above 28 degrees Celsius, seeking to save electricity. Korea is suffering from low power reserves after three nuclear power plants were shut down recently due to safety concerns.

“There is no regulation on dress code in courtrooms. Judges decide by their own standards,” said Yun Seong-sik, a senior judge and spokesman at the OCA.

Yun said that some judges allow lawyers to wear short sleeve shirts if requested in advance, but added that wearing a tie and jacket was still the norm.

He said that the office considered introducing a summer dress code for judges, but withdrew the plan, worrying it might undermine the authority of the judiciary.

In contrast, government officials are encouraged to wear shirts with no tie to boost their work efficiency.

Last summer, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon introduced so-called “cool biz fashion,” consisting of short sleeve shirts, short pants and sandals.

Lawmakers are not exceptions. As the National Assembly strictly controls the use of air-conditioners, legislators quickly adopt clothes which can keep them cool. Some of them wear clothes made with “mosi,” or traditional Korean ramie fabric, well-known for keeping people cool.

Dress code in courts varies by country. In the United Kingdom, all male advocates wear a white stiff wing collar with “barrister bands.” Female advocates also wear a dark suit with the bands attached to a collar.

In the United States, lawyers wear normal business attire in courts of all levels, enjoying relatively more freedom than their U.K. counterparts.