England: Barrister shows off vegan-friendly wig made from hemp

A first-of-its-kind vegan-friendly barrister’s wig made from hemp instead of horsehair has been showcased by an English barrister.

Samuel March, a pupil barrister at 5 Paper Buildings, modelled the “prototype” in a tweet which went viral over the weekend.

The wig – the first vegan barrister’s wing made in the UK, and possibly the world’s first made from hemp – was designed and manufactured by Oxford-based Cultiva Kingdom and will soon go into mass production.

Miranda Moore QC, joint head of chambers at 5 Paper Buildings, told The Telegraph: “Sam is fully supported by Chambers, as I made clear to him when he first mentioned the idea to me some months ago.

“I am generally supportive of the practice of wearing wigs, but consider that appropriate court attire should be inclusive and what it is made out of is immaterial.

“People should be able to express themselves in line with their values, whether that means a Sikh being able to wear a turban instead of a wig or a vegan going out and sourcing something suitable.”

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