While the heatwave may be welcomed by most of us, spare a thought for the dressed-up members of the legal profession.

Obiter has heard reports today of courts where the air conditioning is not working, leaving advocates wilting in their wigs and gowns in the 30-degree heat.

We understand judges are known to be sympathetic to the wellbeing of those in front of them, with plenty of Twitter users reporting they have been allowed to de-robe.

Barrister Nicholas Diable (@Defencebrief) recounted one tale where an advocate was invited to remove his wig, but declined as he said he ‘didn’t want to be mistaken for a solicitor’. The temperature presumably turned rather cooler when he remembered the judge before him was a former solicitor herself.

Another legal tweeter, @The_Bounder, reported how one bar school colleague from Antigua arrived for his first advocacy class in a t-shirt. An excellent idea on a day like today.

Barrister Chris Gutteridge (@GutteridgeChris) also told of a story heard in pupillage of a youngster who had his new white wig stained to look older.

Inevitably, in the summer heat this led to dirty great brown stains running down his face and shirt as he sweated in court.

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