More tales, from the terrifyingly recent past, about the judiciary's nervousness of anything vaguely feminine entering the courtroom. Jackie Mensah, an associate with Bennett Griffin in Worthing, recalls ‘having the privilege of experiencing a male district judge at the Principal Registry informing a female counsel that he really couldn't "hear" her – and very much doubted that she could hear anyone or anything.’ The problem – horror – was she was wearing earrings. ‘I hasten to add that the adornments were average in size and possibly real pearl, so full praise should be given to the judge's 20/20 vision,’ Mensah says. ‘The hearing could not proceed until counsel had divested herself of the offensive items.’ That was just a decade ago. ‘Oh to be brave enough to stroll into that same judge's courtroom with a few facial piercings now... Any volunteers?’