Why Do Judges Wear Black Robes?

A black robe is often associated with a judge in a court, but why do judges wear black robes and not some other color or garment?

Wearing a robe has a long history in academics, and wearing robes by judges can be traced back to the 15th century in England. Judges wore various colors, depending on the style at the time. Rules established in 1635 said judges should wear black in the winter and violet in the summer, and scarlet robes should be worn for criminal court or ceremonies. Wearing black robes has also been traced to the years of mourning upon the death of Queen Mary II in 1694.

Judges in Colonial England also wore robes of various colors, and they also wore wigs. Supreme Court Justices in the early years of the United States followed the English tradition and wore a scarlet rob or one made of fur though they dropped wearing wigs.

It’s widely believed that when John Marshall became chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1801, he chose a simple black robe, and the justices since that time have stuck to that tradition. There is no rule in place what justices or judges must wear while presiding over a court, either in color, the type of robe, or if they even need to be wearing a robe.

Some state judges didn’t wear a black robe until much later. One example is Rhode Island, where robes weren’t adopted to be worn…