DRESS CODE

I agree with your recent editorial which stated that the differences between solicitors and barristers dress in court is unfair to the lay client (see...I agree with your recent editorial which stated that the differences between solicitors and barristers dress in court is unfair to the lay client (see [2001] Gazette, 15 February, 15).

In the courtroom, it should not matter whether the advocate is a solicitor or barrister, as long as the lawyer is competent to do the job.

I spent some years practising at the Bar, and appeared regularly in wig and gown.

When I was awarded rights of audience as a solicitor in 1995 one of the first women to join the ranks of solicitor-advocates I found it difficult to exercise those rights in courts where I had previously been dressed as a barrister.

Confidence is all important for any advocate; the difference in dress between you and your opponent can make all the difference to your performance in court.

I believe strongly that both solicitor-advocates and barristers should be indistinguishable in court.Suzanne Fine, head of business development, Nottingham Law School, London