Magistrates could have new uniforms, after the Ministry of Justice launched into debate a project proposing a series of changes in the case of their outfits, changes that fashion designers call “superficial”.
The modified outfits of the magistrates, criticized by fashion designers PHOTO Archive
The last time the mandatory dress of magistrates was changed was thirty years ago, which is why “requires review and update”it is stated in the substantiation note of the project prepared by the Ministry of Justice, according to Digi24.
According to the project, only military judges and prosecutors will have to wear robes in the courtroom, not the military uniform as at present. In addition, magistrates will only be allowed to wear the mandatory clothing in the courtroom, not on certain festive occasions.
“I think we have much more important problems to solve, but of course the clothing could also be updated. The fact is that this measure does not solve the current problems of the judges”, declared Mihaela-Laura Radu, judge and member of the Superior Council of the Magistracy.
For his part, fashion designer Adrian Oianu called the approach of the Ministry of Justice “shallow and inconsistent”.
“Let’s not talk about the identity importance of these items of clothing for what they represent and what they mean in the justice system (…) However, these people have a status, they represent something, they are the Romanian Judiciary. The respective garment should have a historical, identity connotation, it has to come from somewhere and go somewhere, we have some generic stuff from the time of the communists”the designer told Digi24.
The attire of the magistrates
The clothes worn by judges and prosecutors are made of black cloth, which closes with non-transparent buttons.
“We should also talk about prices (…) The difference in quality of black cloth can be from 10 euros to 1000 euros. That’s how varied the quality and variants of black cloth are. It depends on where they are. You can make something that reaches a price of 100 euros, let’s say, and which is almost modest, simple, basic, but almost decent. Or you can make something that costs 25 euros and sell it for 500 (…) You have to give me some technical explanations that fit me into a price story that can be quantified, you can’t tell me generically that it is black cloth”, added the fashion designer.
The outfits are made available to magistrates by the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
Judges, prosecutors, court clerks and court clerks are required to wear “trapezoidal pleated silk brooch” which attaches to the base of the collar.
Court of appeals judges wear purple bibs, trial court judges wear cyclamen-red bibs, and magistrates wear white bibs. White is also the bib of the prosecutors, while the clerks will wear a blue bib. The major change comes in the case of court clerks and court clerks. Their robes will be similar to those of the judges, black in color.
Magistrates are also required to wear a badge, which represents “the sign of judicial power in the rule of law”according to the project put up for debate by the Ministry of Justice. The badge of the judges is round, composed of a golden laurel wreath, in the middle of which is the balance with two plates, supported by a sword, the Constitution and the tricolor. The only difference to the prosecutors badge is that it is shaped like a shield.
