Editing Judge (section)

==Symbols of office==
[[Image:Don Diego del Corral y Arellano, por Diego Velázquez.jpg|upright|thumb|17th century [[Spain|Spanish]] judge in full gowns, by Velázquez]]
{{Main|Court dress}}
A variety of traditions have become associated with the rank or occupation. [[Gavel]]s (a ceremonial hammer) are used by judges in many countries, to the point that the gavel has become a symbol of a judge. In many parts of the world, judges wear long [[robe]]s (often in black or red) and sit on an elevated platform during trials (known as the bench).

American judges frequently wear black robes. American judges have ceremonial [[gavel]]s, although American judges have court deputies or bailiffs and ''[[contempt of court]]'' power as their main devices to maintain decorum in the courtroom. However, in some of the [[Western United States]], like California, judges did not always wear robes and instead wore everyday clothing. Today, some members of [[state supreme court]]s, such as the [[Maryland Supreme Court]] wear distinct dress. In Italy and [[Portugal]], both judges and lawyers wear particular black robes.

In some countries, especially in the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], judges wear [[Wig (hair)|wigs]]. The long wig often associated with judges is now reserved for ceremonial occasions, although it was part of the standard attire in previous centuries.  A short wig resembling but not identical to a [[barrister]]'s wig (a Bench Wig) would be worn in court.  This tradition, however, is being phased out in Britain in non-criminal courts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITAIN_JUDGES_WIGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |title=Hosted.ap.org |access-date=2007-07-12 |archive-date=2021-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428215507/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRITAIN_JUDGES_WIGS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In [[Oman]], the judge wears a long stripe (red, green white), while the attorneys wear the black gown.

In Portugal and in the former [[Portuguese Empire]], the judges used to carry a staff that was red for ordinary judges and white for the [[Juiz de fora (office)|judges from the outside]].