In Brief: Traditions of the Courts

This handout provides an overview of various traditions of the courts, including the coat of arms, courtroom attire, the judicial sash, the oath and the bow. The Canadian judicial system has inherited many traditions from the English court system. All of the traditions that accompany the court process serve to lend dignity to the judicial proceedings, to distinguish the courts from other decision-making tribunals, and to remind people that the administration of justice is central to the court system.