Why do judges wear a black robe?
In Atty. Tiongco v. Judge Savillo (520 Phil. 573, 2006), the Supreme Court said: "Respondent judge admitted that he does not wear the black robe, but seeks to excuse his non-compliance because of his illness. The Court cannot accept his plea."
In Chan v. Majaducon, where respondent judge tried to excuse his non-compliance because of his hypertension, the High Court said that the wearing of robes by judges during official proceedings, which harks back to the 14th century, is not an idle ceremony. Such practice serves the dual purpose of "heightening public consciousness on the solemnity of judicial proceedings," as Circular No. 25 states, and of impressing upon the judge, the exacting obligations of his office.
As well put by an eminent jurist of another jurisdiction:
Judges are clothed in robes, not only, that they who witness the administration of justice should be properly advised that the function performed is one different from, and higher, than that which a man discharges as a citizen in the ordinary walks of life; but also, in order to impress the judge himself with the constant consciousness that he is a high priest in the temple of justice and is surrounded with obligations of a sacred character that he cannot escape and that require his utmost care, attention and self-suppression. (Mason, A. T. [1980]. The Supreme Court from Taft to Burger. LSU Press.)Consequently, a judge must take care not only to remain true to the high ideals of competence and integrity his robe represents, but also that he wears one in the first place.
ALSO READ: Gonzales v. Chavez, G.R. No. 97351, February 4, 1992, 205 SCRA 816, 836.
Robes became the standard uniform for judges in England during the reign of Edward II, who ruled from 1327 until 1377. At this point, they had already been the standard garb for academics for over a century (see: Why Graduates Wear Caps and Gowns), as well as worn in other settings. For instance, at this point, this type of garb would also have been appropriate for wear for a visit to the royal court, so a judge wearing his robes outside of the courtroom would not have been out of place.
xxx Read more: Sarah Stone. February 6, 2015.WHY DO JUDGES WEAR ROBES? todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02/judges-wear-robes-still-requirement-just-tradition.
Historians believe that the transition to only black robes may have begun in the second half of the 17th century in England. But it is not known for sure what exactly caused the switch, though a popular theory ties the black robes to the mourning period after the death of a monarch. Some historians claim that the funeral of Queen Mary in 1694 helped cement the already worn black robes as the typical attire while others point to the death of Charles II in 1685 as the start of that tradition. Read more: Sarah Stone. February 6, 2015.WHY DO JUDGES WEAR ROBES? todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02/judges-wear-robes-still-requirement-just-tradition.
Robes became the standard uniform for judges in England during the reign of Edward II, who ruled from 1327 until 1377. At this point, they had already been the standard garb for academics for over a century (see: Why Graduates Wear Caps and Gowns), as well as worn in other settings. For instance, at this point, this type of garb would also have been appropriate for wear for a visit to the royal court, so a judge wearing his robes outside of the courtroom would not have been out of place.
xxx Read more: Sarah Stone. February 6, 2015.WHY DO JUDGES WEAR ROBES? todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02/judges-wear-robes-still-requirement-just-tradition.
Historians believe that the transition to only black robes may have begun in the second half of the 17th century in England. But it is not known for sure what exactly caused the switch, though a popular theory ties the black robes to the mourning period after the death of a monarch. Some historians claim that the funeral of Queen Mary in 1694 helped cement the already worn black robes as the typical attire while others point to the death of Charles II in 1685 as the start of that tradition. Read more: Sarah Stone. February 6, 2015.WHY DO JUDGES WEAR ROBES? todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02/judges-wear-robes-still-requirement-just-tradition.
