British Law tour and lecture

The main point that I found interesting throughout the entire lecture on English law and the walk from Temple station was that the system has become outdated and is losing its impact because of it. This stuck out in my mind because it was a full vocalization of a thought that has seemed to work throughout many of the semesters, which is that English culture is failing to do as it once was because many of its procedures are now irrelevant. This does seem though to run against what most people think of English culture holding its traditions and its history higher than anything else.
The primary reason that our lecturer insisted that English law procedures are doing more harm than good is that they are intimidating and alien to the common man. English law procedure still requires that barristers and judges wear wigs to court along with gowns, which is a tradition that has existed for centuries. While the wig wearing has become more relaxed over time and people who are taking part in law procedures are able then to relate more with the people they are working with. Most criminals these days have come from a lower social status and because of this they would not know what to do in this scenario.
While I do find some appeal in the prestige and the history of wearing wigs to court I can see how it is not a very practical way of doing business. The concept of keeping up these outdated practices in only one section of social interaction does more harm than good. While it could be that by keeping up these practices we are trying to keep up certain standards, the more important thing to examine is whether they are standards that truly have an affect on society or if it is just lost symbolism.