Click here to comment. Taumaunu admits it was with some trepidation that he turned up to court that first day, in Gisborne. But we have a legal community and judges who are not afraid of innovation and change. The first ever marae-based court for young offenders started here. So I knew our executive judge would be supportive. And he was right. The judge gave him permission to wear the taonga - for the day. She took a photo, posted it on social media to gauge the reaction from other lawyers — and then, she took up the battle by writing to the Chief Justice.
Today, Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann issued new interim guidance authorising the wearing of culturally-significant decorative taonga as part of business attire for counsel appearing in all proceedings in all courts. It applies to lawyers, judges, court staff, stakeholders and all others who perform official roles in the courts. Academic literature has observed it is unlikely a comprehensive definition of taonga is available, the guidance notes.
So descriptions of taonga are accepted to have broad scope. Waitangi Tribunal reports over many years have come to treat "taonga", as used in the Treaty, as a tangible or intangible item or matter of special cultural significance. They can be in the form of two rectangle pieces of cloth, usually in white, which is tied to the neck.
About plain linen 'falling bands', emerged from the falling collar replaced the ruff. The original form was a wide collar, tied with a lace in front. A few years ago, I worked briefly at a big law firm in the City. One day, a colleague who had removed his newly purchased Gucci tie to avoid scuffing it during an epic document review was angrily bawled out by a partner.
With law firms' commitment to formal dressing forever imprinted in my mind by that incident, it was with surprise that I read a recent endorsement of flip-flops as a suitable form of office attire by the corporate legal big cheese William Urquhart. Speaking to the Careerist blog last month, Urquhart, who works for the international law firm Quinn Emanuel, which has an office in London, claimed that his firm takes "casual dress to a whole new level", adding that, "the only dress code we have is that you have something between your feet and the carpet — and that's because our insurance company requires it!
He went on to argue that dressing casually "improves our creativity" and makes young lawyers "more likely to speak up" as they are not "so intimidated by the trappings of power".
In the US, where Quinn Emanuel is predominantly based, it's actually pretty common for lawyers to dress down during the summer months — albeit in business casual rather than beachwear. But, to date, few firms in Britain have deviated from the year-round suit-and-tie policy of my former employer. However, in an increasingly international legal market, traditional British commitment to smartness seems to be wavering: a growing number of London firms are adopting business casual dress codes.
Many put the change down to a recent wave of mergers between recession-hit UK and US firms. These colors suggest seriousness. At the same time, they do not come with the negative connotations that are often associated with the color black for instance, some people associate black with evil, coldness, and darkness.
Avoid bright colors and patterns because they tend to be distracting in a professional setting. It may be easier to highlight what not to wear to court instead of directing individuals to what is best.
In general, avoid anything that looks casual, unserious, or unkempt. This includes:. We are here to help make sure your interests are represented throughout the claims process.
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