Another miniature.

How about this curiosity: A taxidermy rat lawyer, a barrister or un/une avocat, a judge, a juge? But is it un rat avocat, une rat avocate, le rat avocat or la rat avocate or is it la femme juge . . . ?

Perhaps the little fella is the true jurist, le juriste, a real expert in the law, a scholar of the law, un spécialiste de la loi, qu’érudit et professeur de droit, le savant et professeur de droit

Indeed, this is the real thing, a real rat stuffed, un rat de taxidermie. Truly collectible, one of a kind, a special gift, a collectors item.

See here for a previous post about the miniature lawyer mouse Portiatticus Finch Esq., Barrister & Solicitor 😊

                                      ⚖️

Acknowledging the under representation of women in the legal profession & its increasing feminization in France, common law countries & elsewhere, I use both genders.

 

 

Closer inspection suggests this little one could be a common law trial judge, perhaps his/her Honour (Australia) or my Lord/Lady (England/Wales), ready to cast that gavel as needed to maintain order in the Court. “I want order in my Court!”  Of course it could be a barrister/lawyer/l’avocat (not a judge) holding the gavel.

Of course it could be a civil law le premier juge, from the sitting judiciary, the juge d’instruction of the French trial court seeking order in the court, “Je veux l’ordre dans la cour“. He/she would be addressed by l’avocats as Monsieur/Madame le président.

Keep in mind my comments here encompass simplified & light hearted observations of the two judicial systems: common law & civil law. My French is very basic. With respect to the judicial bodies & the judicial function, it can be difficult to find the functional equivalents between the England/Wales & Australian legal systems & that of France. The judicial function in France is a more broadly defined concept as it includes the trial judge, the juge d’instructon & the procureur.

 

 

If a common law country, her honour is dressed most proper – almost – in court attire of the black robe, the robe noir & jabot, a gavel in one hand, law book in the other, ready to take her proper place on the bench to face those bewigged lawyers in the courtroom before her.  I say ‘almost’ as she has yet to don the powdered wig, la perruque poudrée. “Oops, my powdered wig fell off! . . .” 🙂

Of course, it could be a French judge (or lawyer) – une femme or l’homme juge – in la robe noire d’avocat, the lawyer’s black robe, given there is no wig. The ‘powdered’ wigs are not worn in France by judges or lawyers & are not part of the legal profession.

But the jabot style on this rat tends to indicate it is not a French judge or lawyer.

 

Jabot style in France

 

 

Judge or lawyer – Lyon, France

 

French prosecutor

Note the distinct French jabot style

 

 

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/lawyer

 

 

Note the distinct jabot style

French legal dress

The jabot in French legal dress.

 

These next five images show the 2 types of jabots most commonly worn by the legal profession in Australia: the collar & bands and the bib jabot in last 2 images.

 

 

 

collar and bands

more at Ludlows & Blashki (below)

bib jabot

Blashki Australia

 

bib jabot

Ludlows Australia

 

 

“You have come before me Mr. X because it is not acceptable to break the law, enfreindre la loi. What you did is against the law, contraire a la loi. I remind you again that ignorance of the law is no excuse, nul n’est cense ignorer la loi. I’ve a very good mind to send you to prison“ says the trial judge, le premier juge, to the defendant  . . .

“Members of the jury” says the judge in beginning his jury instructions, “I am quite confident, given what you have heard in this trial, from me, my learned friends and the defendant . . . that you will decide accordingly  . . .   “

 

 

The stuffed rat measures 18 cm.

By mbcreature on Etsy