Vos: IYKYK
The judiciary has launched an initiative to make the courts more accessible to younger people by issuing the first guide to court language and etiquette.
It includes new ways to refer to judges – the Master of the Rolls is now to be known as ‘MRollz’, and the Lord Chief Justice as ‘Da Chief’ – and advises that when an advocate disagrees with a point made by their opponent, they should describe them as ‘Delulu’.
The term “M’learned friend” has been replaced with the simpler “M’Dude”, and instead of bowing when judges enter court, advocates should line up for fist bumps.
The guide warns of the risk of lawyers being “totally cringe” or even “big yikes” if they fail to adapt.
The MRollz, Sir Geoffrey Vos KC, said the intention was to give the courts a “glow up” so that younger people took more of an interest in their work, as well as in a legal career.
“It’s a really bougie ting,” he said, in his first post on the new TikTok account, @judgezindemcourtz.
Sir Geoffrey – who has led the drive to future-proof the courts – also issued the first ruling to deploy the new guide.
In Wilshire v Challinor [2026] EWCA Civ 67, he described the defendant’s argument of ex turpi causa non oritur action as “low-key totally Skibidi”. In giving judgment for the claimant, he decided that Mr Wilshire “ate and left no crumbs”.
Asked whether the guide had gone too far, a spokesman for the Judicial Office said: “OK, Boomer. Are you shading us? We vibed about this for a long time and believe we will win serious aura points. This is FR [for real].”
A spokeswoman for the Gob Squad – what used to be called the Bar Council – said it fully supported the move. “The old way was just so basic,” she said.
A Law Society spokesman said: “Why are we never the cool ones?”
The new guide came into force on 1 April.