s.14B Wigs and Gowns
14B. Wigs and gowns
Where a person who is under 18 years of age—
(a) is giving evidence in respect of a relevant offence, or
(b) is giving evidence in respect of any other offence of which he or she is a victim,
neither the judge nor the barrister or solicitor concerned in the examination of the witness shall wear a wig or gown.
This provision used to be linked to the support measure of videolink but is now a provision for children who are a witness or a victim for a relevant offence OR a child victim in respect of any other offence. A child witness giving evidence in relation to any other offence is therefore excluded apparently.
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However, a trial judge could make a similar provision through the inherent jurisdiction of the court. In the case of DPP v FE (Central Criminal Court, November 2015), the trial judge and the counsel agreed to not wear wigs or gowns while the complainant was giving evidence. Also, all of them did not wear tabs/collars and called each other by their first name.