The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II brings great sadness to the World. The Queen’s 70-year reign marks an unwavering, unconditional devotion to serving the people of the Commonwealth. The Queen is sadly missed by lawyers and staff of this practice and our sincere condolences go out to the Royal family.
What may not be widely known, is that the Queen is present in courts of law across the Commonwealth. As you walk into a court of law look above or adjacent to where the judicial officer, judge or magistrate, is sitting and you will see the Royal Coat of Arms, which came into being in 1399 under King Henry IV.
Upon entering the court lawyers, judicial staff and court officials will customarily bow when the court is in session. The judicial officer is the representative of the Queen and therefore, the act of bowing, signified by a dignified nod, is to the Royal Coat of Arms, as a mark of respect for the Queen.
Barristers appearing in court address the judicial officer with “Your Honour” or “May it please the Court,” “Sir” and “Ma’am.” Again these terms are uttered with the utmost respect of the judicial officer sitting in right of the Queen.
From today, our respect to the court will acknowledge His Majesty King Charles III, as the symbolic role under which justice is carried out.