{"id":92246,"date":"2025-09-01T11:34:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T11:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=92246"},"modified":"2025-09-01T11:34:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T11:34:00","slug":"singapore-success-story-time-for-ghana-to-shed-judicial-wigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=92246","title":{"rendered":"Singapore success story: Time for Ghana to shed judicial wigs?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 50 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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A powerful case for modernising Ghana\u2019s judiciary was made on Sunday, August 31, during an interview on JoyNews\u2019 The Law<\/em><\/strong>, where Shem Khoo, the Managing Director of Focus Law Asia, offered insights from Singapore\u2019s successful judicial reforms. <\/p>\n

Mr Khoo highlighted Singapore\u2019s decision to abandon the traditional judicial wig and archaic titles, arguing that the move was a crucial step in transforming the country\u2019s legal system into a modern, efficient, and respected institution.<\/p>\n

Conversely, for many years, the image of justice in Ghana has been inextricably linked to the remnant of 17th-century Britain of judges adorned with powdered horsehair wigs, complemented by high-collar inner clothes and robes.<\/p>\n

According to Khoo, Singapore\u2019s abolishment of judicial wigs and titles like \u201cmy lord\u201d and \u201cyour lordship\u201d at the beginning of the 1990s was a key initiative driven by then-Chief Justice Yong Pung How. <\/p>\n

The motivation behind this bold reform was to shed the symbolic vestiges of colonial rule. <\/p>\n

Mr Khoo stated that the wigs and ornate collars were seen as \u201cout of place\u201d in an independent and pragmatic Singapore. <\/p>\n

He further noted the impracticality of wearing such attire in the country\u2019s hot, tropical climate, a sentiment that resonates deeply within Ghana\u2019s legal fraternity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thinking was that it was out of place in an independent, pragmatic Singapore,\u201d Khoo explained. \u201cAnd also, you must understand, in our tropical climate, it was really uncomfortable to be all dressed up and wearing wigs and high collars.\u201d <\/p>\n

He added that the change was \u201ccertainly welcomed by many lawyers\u201d and was a move \u201cconsistent with a young nation becoming confident in its own ways and comfortable in its own skin.\u201d<\/p>\n

For countries like Ghana, which have inherited a similar colonial legal framework, the central question is whether doing away with these traditions would diminish the dignity and formality of the court. <\/p>\n

Mr Khoo was unequivocal in his response: \u201cOh no\u2026 not at all.\u201d <\/p>\n

He asserted that the change was \u201conly in an outward form\u201d and had not compromised the integrity of the judiciary.<\/p>\n

Instead, the Singaporean courts are now perceived as \u201cmore approachable and culturally relevant\u201d, while still maintaining the seriousness and decorum of a \u201cworld-class judiciary\u201d. <\/p>\n

Mr Khoo concluded that the dignity of the court now comes from \u201cthe conduct of the judges and the conduct of the lawyers and the integrity of the legal system, not from wigs or archaic phrases.\u201d<\/p>\n

This perspective offers a compelling lesson for Ghana, where the judicial wig carries significant weight.<\/p>\n

Supporters argue that it embodies the dignity, solemnity, and respect that the court commands. They believe that the anonymity it provides helps shield judges from personal attacks, representing the law rather than individual personalities. For many, tradition is not a burden but a bedrock of institutional integrity and stability.<\/p>\n

However, a growing number of voices\u2014especially from the youth and legal reform advocates\u2014are calling for a shift. The arguments for moving away from wigs are both practical and symbolic, with cost, comfort, decolonisation and public perception as some reasons.<\/p>\n

The debate over the judicial wig is not merely an aesthetic one; it is a fundamental discussion about national identity and the perception of justice. <\/p>\n

The Singaporean experience demonstrates that a judiciary can maintain its solemnity and integrity by focusing on professional conduct, ethical standards, and a commitment to justice, rather than relying on outdated colonial symbols.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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