Remnants of colonialism: Why Calcutta High Court Chief Justices still wear wigs

Kolkata’s colonial legal past was on full display on January 16 this year when Justice Sujoy Paul took oath as Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court wearing a bright red robe and a colonial‑era white judicial wig.

The same outfit came under spotlight again in March 2026. On that day, Chief Justice Paul administered the oath of office to RN Ravi as Governor of West Bengal. The judge once again appeared wearing the scarlet robe and the wig.

In doing so, he followed a long line of Calcutta High Court Chief Justices who have worn wigs on ceremonial occasions.

While still prevalent at the Calcutta High Court, this practice has disappeared from almost all other constitutional courts in the country.

The roots of this tradition lie in the British colonial era. The High Courts Act of 1861 empowered Queen Victoria to issue Letters Patent establishing High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

These three “chartered” High Courts directly succeeded the British Supreme Courts and Sadar Adalats. They were created under a Royal Charter and not by Indian legislation.

So, their ceremonial traditions remained closely tied to British High Court practice.

In England and Wales, High Court judges wear furred scarlet robes and full‑bottomed ceremonial wigs on state occasions. 

The wig, or “peruk”, began as a court fashion imported from France by King Charles II in the 17th century. It served as a status symbol and a discreet cover for hair loss.

The scarlet robe is older still.

Records show judges of the Queen’s Bench wearing scarlet as early as 1460 for criminal work and ceremonies, while black robes were reserved for routine civil matters. 

The idea was to mark a clear separation between a judge’s private identity and public office.

The use of wigs evolved, distinguishing between full-bottomed wigs (primarily for ceremonial occasions) and shorter bench wigs (for everyday proceedings) in criminal courts. 

Reforms in 2007–08 cut back the traditions. Wigs were dropped from most civil and family courts in England and Wales. They remain mandatory primarily in Crown Court criminal proceedings.

The British transplanted their judicial customs to India when they established courts in the sub-continent. Judges and lawyers in the colonial courts began wearing the same robes, bands and wigs as their counterparts in London.

After independence, India retained much of that framework, including the conventions of the courtroom.

Senior Advocate Sanjoy Ghose described how wigs, bands and gowns became entrenched as part of legal attire in colonial India. According to him, Indian courts continue to cling to these borrowed symbols, using them to mark hierarchy and status, even though the original social context has vanished.

While the red robe tradition is historically linked to all three chartered High Courts, the wig has steadily fallen out of use today. Many Chief Justices in Bombay and Madras High Courts have now discontinued it.

However, Calcutta continues to retain the complete colonial attire.