Nine people from Christchurch, one from Timaru and 14 from Dunedin, double the usual number, will be admitted at a ceremony in the High Court at Dunedin this afternoon.
The call for wigs went out when when it became apparent many of the pieces the Christchurch-based candidates would wear were in buildings inside the Christchurch CBD, which is off limits after the earthquake on February 22.
Law Society Otago branch manager Susan Schweigman said all candidates and their moving counsel wore a gown and wig at their admission ceremony.
Most people had been able to get a gown and the wigs were supplied by the Auckland District Law Society, which sent three boxes, and lawyers in Waikato, Ashburton and Queenstown.
Traditionally, the horse-hair wigs had always been worn in court, but now only on ceremonial occasions.
They were expensive to buy and nowadays were usually owned by firms that had kept them from when they were everyday court attire.
Candidates usually arranged to borrow a wig, but as there were so many people for this ceremony it was thought more sensible to organise them centrally, Mrs Schweigman said.
The new lawyers will be admitted to the Bar by Justice Christian Whata, who is sitting in the High Court at Dunedin this week.
