The Victorian Bar has debated whether judges and lawyers should stop wearing their robes and medals at special religious services to avoid any conflict of interest perceptions. Source: The Australian.
The Bar last week discussed the question of whether it was appropriate for robes to be worn at Catholic, Anglican and Jewish services and at those services held by other faiths at the start of the legal year.
The issue was discussed at a special event to examine issues affecting Victorian barristers but the discussions have raised concerns among some lawyers of faith that there could be a broader agenda to undermine the place of religion among the community.
A discussion, entitled In Conversation – Robes and Religion, was held in Owen Dixon Chambers last week.
Some attendees later expressed concern that the issue of child sexual abuse was being used as a vehicle to undermine the role of religion in the lives of barristers and judges.
There also has been private discussion – held outside the official forum – about the future of the Red Mass, a centuries-old Catholic tradition to mark the start of the legal year, which is attended by judges and barristers in their courtroom robes.
Rachel Doyle SC said she had been clear in her commentary that the discussion was about whether robes would be worn rather than any broader issue about the Catholic Mass.
“No one ever suggested an end to the Red Mass,’’ Ms Doyle said.
She said she “couldn’t have been clearer” that the discussions were not limited to the Catholic service, which was held on January 29 this year at St Patrick’s Cathedral with Archbishop Peter Comensoli hosting morning tea after the mass in the presbytery grounds.
The Red Mass dates to the Middle Ages and the clergy wear red robes to symbolise the fire that fell on the apostles at Pentecost.
FULL STORY
Victorian barristers debate wearing legal robes at religious ceremonies (By John Ferguson, The Australian)
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