Hats On, Hats Off: Non-Horsehair Headgear in Court, 1785-1971

Hats off for men in court was – and maybe still is – the rule for courtrooms. Image Credit

From the Ballymena Observer, 1951:

“Wearing of Caps in Courthouse

Judge Refers to Old Tradition

An incident in Ballymena Courthouse on Monday, during the Quarter Sessions, prompted Judge Begley KC to refer to a tradition peculiar to that Court.  A man who was leaving the building, had just reached the flagged portion and put on his cap.  A police officer requested him to remove it, which he did.  His Honour interrupted the business to remark that there was a very old tradition read more

Newspaper-Reading in Court, 1867-1998


From the Irish Times, 22 November 1867:

“Sir – I was sitting in the court of Queen’s Bench yesterday, and while counsel was reading a long affidavit I applied myself to the columns of the Standard newspaper. Suddenly the Lord Chief Justice called out to me – ‘This is not a place for the public to read newspapers.’

I understood this as a prohibition, and of course desisted. But the question has since read more