In courtrooms across Africa, a colonial-era fashion statement is sparking a modern debate. While Britain has moved to make barristers’ wigs optional, many of its former colonies still require judges and lawyers to wear the long, white horsehair wigs. Some defend this tradition as a symbol of legal dignity and impartiality. However, a growing number of critics argue these wigs are culturally alienating, physically uncomfortable in the heat, and an outdated relic of colonial rule. From Ghana to Zimbabwe, calls for reform are getting louder, pushing for legal attire that reflects national identity rather than a foreign past. Some nations have already begun to embrace change: Burkina Faso has swapped European robes for locally woven Faso Dan Fani, while South Africa abandoned wigs entirely after apartheid. The debate reflects a wider reckoning over identity, tradition, and decolonization.
The African Report
