Heat: Wig, robe et al killing lawyers and judges slowly – Prof. Atuguba reveals

According to Dr Atuguba the wigs and robes are not conducive for Ghana's temperatures

Senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Professor Raymond Atuguba says it is absurd for judges and lawyers in Ghana to continue wearing collars, bibs, wigs, and gowns as dress code.

He concurred with Christian Lawyers Fellowship that the dress code poses avoidable and preventable health conditions to legal practitioners.

Prof. Atuguba was speaking on the topic Ethics and the Law at the Second Rev. Fr. Dr. Isidore Kupole Bonabom Memorial Lecture at the University of Cape Coast at the third anniversary of the Law Students’ Union.

“Just last week the Christian Lawyers Fellowship invited all judges and lawyers to meet and discuss how to live healthy lives as legal professionals. The invitation noted that of late lawyers and judges are dying from very avoidable and preventable health conditions because we appear to be working ourselves to death.”

The law professor remarked, “I tell you, budding students of the Law, it is the collars, bibs, wigs, and gowns and the rules of court that are causing this.”

He compared the temperature of Ghana to that of Britain and outlined the dangers associated with the ‘uniform’.

"Last year, barristers and judges were allowed to ditch their traditional gowns and wigs because Britain experienced its hottest day for 40 years. The temperature in question was 34 degrees Celsius (94 degrees F). Sometimes the temperature in Ghana, exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. So, the people who gave us the wig and gown are afraid to keep it on in temperatures that we endure every day.

“Yet, the leaders of our fraternity have ordered that we continue to robe, leaving us open to heat strokes, mental fatigue, and all sorts of avoidable taxes on our bodies and minds.”

President of the Law Students’ Union Jonathan Nana Nyarko Cudjoe shared his fondest memory of the late lecturer of the facility, Rev. Fr. Dr. Isidore Kupole Bonabom.

“A man who lived his life so well, a man full of love and empathy, a man who was until his death remained loyal to the foundation of the legal profession.”

The Reverend Father died in a road accident in 2015.