Woman Magistrate's Two-Way Problem

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1938, Page 9

Woman Magistrate's Two-Way Problem

Magisterial circles in Surrey are feeing stirred by a controversy concerning the correct dress for women magistrates, says the “News Chronicle.

The matter requiring a ruling concerns a nat—or a number of hats — belonging to Mrs. Barton, wife of Dr. G D. Barton, of Norwood Lodge, York v Hoad. Wcybridgo. When, as a magistrate, Mrs. Barton takes her scat on the Bench, should she. or should she not. wear a hat? At the last County Quarter Sessions lawyers and some officials expressed surprise, when she appeared without one, Mrs, Barton told the "News Chronicle" ot her difficulties with English judicial custom. One On—One Off

"When I sit on the Chertsey Bench where Mr. J. H. W. Pilcher is chairman." she said, “I wear a hat because Mr. Pilcher does not like me to appear without one. When I sit at Quarter Sessions I appear without because Sir Lindsay Smith, the chairmain in the court in which I sit. has no objection. “I think it is perfectly ridiculous if my appearance without a hat causes any sort of controversy, “Well, wo might talk a little less about dignity on the Bench, and if by not wearing a hat I can help to make t he- atmosphere of a court human 1 should think it is a good thing. “I don’t wear a hat in the house and I don’t see why I should, wear one for several hours In a court. Tt doesn’t make any difference to one’s work. “It all seems such nonsense.’’ Mr. Pilcher is the chairman of the Surrey Quarter Sessions as well as the Chertsey Bench, but there are usually two courts at the sessions 1 and Mrs. Barton does not sit in his —hence her appearance without a hat. M.P.’s View When asked why he objected to a woman magistrate appearing hatless, Mr. Pilcher sent a message to the “News Chronicle” that he had no statement to make, but when asked for his opinion on the subject, Mr. Y. Chuter Ede, M.P., also a Surrey magistrate, expressed himself in strong terms.

“Some people are so old fashioned,” he said, “that they haven’t yet heard that Queen Victoria was born. It is absolute nonsense for anyone to express surprise that a woman magistrate should do her work without a hat.

“Lady Astor always wears a hat in the House of Commons and Mrs. Tate doesn’t. No one thinks anything' about it.” Captain E. H. Tuckwell, an assistant chairman of the Surrey Quarter Sessions, told the “News Chronicle” that he had nothing to say about Mrs. Barton’s appearance without a hat because it had never occurred to him to think about it.