Betty Jackson gets a dressing-down

Betty Jackson, one of Britain's most respected designers, has met some of the harshest criticism of her distinguished career. And it's not from the front row of a catwalk show - but from the judiciary.

Last year, the 59-year-old designer (pictured with Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips) unveiled a new robe for British judges, replacing the traditional garb with a long gown made of a dark navy gabardine and wool mix and finished with trimmed velvet on the cuffs and facings. Now it transpires that the judges are unimpressed. In a poll of 104 High Court judges, 40 have voted in favour of scrapping the new robes.

One outspoken critic of Jackson's design says the new robe - which many judges feel was "foisted" upon them - is like "a cross between a Star Trek costume and a fascist stormtrooper's uniform". Others complain that it is badly designed, with the pockets difficult to get to and buttons at the back that tend to come undone.

But the judges' concerns have been disregarded by the Court Judges Association committee, which has decreed that the new robes must be accepted. The committee could now have a fight on its hands: although 32 judges voted to keep the robe (the rest declined to reply) those who feel Jackson's creation is unsatisfactory are preparing to take their concerns to the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge.