History Main / BlackCapOfDeath

* In the RumpoleOfTheBailey short story, "Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror", Rumpole muses that there is always one jury member that is too eager to see the black cap brought out.

* In Blackadder's courtmartial in ''Series/BlackadderGoesForth'' General Melchett assures Blackadder that he'll be an impartial judge Blackadder accidentally shot and ate Melchett's pet pigeon), then calls for the black cap because he'll be needing it.

* In Creator/BramStoker's short story "The Judge's House" the titular judge's ghost slowly dons a black cap before hanging his house's current tenant.

* In Blackadder's courtmartial in ''Series/BlackadderGoesForth'' General Melchett assures Blackadder that he'll be an impartial judge, then calls for the black cap because he'll be needing it.

* There are only two known images of the Black Cap being actually worn while a death sentence is being pronounced.[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cap#/media/File:Seddon_being_sentenced_to_death.jpg This photo from 1912]] shows Mr Justice Bucknill passing sentence on the convicted murderer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Seddon Frederick Seddon]], who poisoned his tenant Eliza Mary Barrow. Seddon was hanged a month later. [[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mr_Justice_Avory_passing_sentence_in_1922_on_Thomas_Alloway.jpg This 1922 photo]] shows Mr Justice Alloway passing sentence on Thomas Allaway, convicted of murdering a little girl.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cap#/media/File:Seddon_being_sentenced_to_death.jpg This photo from 1912]] is one of only two known images of the Black Cap being actually worn while a death sentence is being pronounced. Mr Justice Bucknill is seen passing sentence on the convicted murderer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Seddon Frederick Seddon]], who poisoned his tenant Eliza Mary Barrow. Seddon was hanged a month later.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cap#/media/File:Seddon_being_sentenced_to_death.jpg This photo from 1912]] is the only known image of the Black Cap being actually worn while a death sentence is being pronounced. Mr Justice Bucknill is seen passing sentence on the convicted murderer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Seddon Frederick Seddon]], who poisoned his tenant Eliza Mary Barrow. Seddon was hanged a month later.

* In Agatha Christie's ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'', [[spoiler: after the Judge has been found dead ([[FakingTheDead apparently]]), the other characters all make mention that there will be no more putting on his black cap and sending others to the gallows for him.]]

* Seen in ''Series/Grantchester'' when a character is convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. The angle shifts momentarily to one above and behind the judge to call attention to the action.

* In Agatha Christie's ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'' after a Judge has been found dead, the other characters all make mention that there will be no more putting on his black cap and sending others to the gallows for him.

* In JudgeDee books, the Chinese equivalent is the judge wearing a red robe.

* In Blackadder's courtmartial in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'' General Melchett assures Blackadder that he'll be an impartial judge, then calls for the black cap because he'll be needing it.
* The Creator/{{BBC}}'s 2007 mini-series version of OliverTwist has the Judge (played by Rob Brydon) blithely asking how many people's sent to the gallows that week (22, but it was only Tuesday) before cavalierly slapping on a black cap and giving Oliver the death sentence for pickpocketing. Later in that same adaptation, in sentencing Fagin he simply puts on his black cap and slams his gavel and Fagin is taken away.

[[AC:Film]]
* In ''Film/LetHimHaveIt'' (a film based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Bentley_case Derek Bentley case]]), the judge has his black cap put on his head when he [[ForegoneConclusion sentences Bentley to hang]].
* In ''Film/DialMForMurder'', Margot's trial scene ends with the horrified look on her face after the judge puts on his black cap.
* The 1962 CourtroomDrama film ''Film/TheBoys'' [[note]]no relation to ''ComicBook/TheBoys'' comicbook[[/note]] ends with the one remaining defendant breaking down in tears as the black cap is solemnly brought out and placed above the judge's head as sentence is read out.

[[AC:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/DeathComesToPemberley'' and its television adaptation, the judge at George Wickham's trial puts it on when condemning him to the gallows.
* In Agatha Christie's ''Literature/AndThenThereWereNone'' after a Judge has been found dead, the other characters all make mention that there will be no more putting on his black cap and sending others to the gallows for him.
* In Pamela Branch's ''Literature/TheWoodenOvercoat'', the character of Benji wonders, during a trial, why the judge has his black cap tucked up under his desk?
* In the RumpoleOfTheBailey short story, "Rumpole and the Vanishing Juror", Rumpole muses that there is always one jury member that is too eager to see the black cap brought out.
* In JudgeDee books, the Chinese equivalent is the judge wearing a red robe.
* The judge at Dr. Bickleigh's trial at the end of ''Literature/MaliceAforethought'' and its first television adaptation puts on a black cap when sentencing the doctor to the gallows.

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* In Blackadder's courtmartial in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} Goes Forth'' General Melchett assures Blackadder that he'll be an impartial judge, then calls for the black cap because he'll be needing it.
* The Creator/{{BBC}}'s 2007 mini-series version of OliverTwist has the Judge (played by Rob Brydon) blithely asking how many people's sent to the gallows that week (22, but it was only Tuesday) before cavalierly slapping on a black cap and giving Oliver the death sentence for pickpocketing. Later in that same adaptation, in sentencing Fagin he simply puts on his black cap and slams his gavel and Fagin is taken away.

[[AC:Real Life]]

* The {{BBC}}'s 2007 mini-series version of OliverTwist has the Judge (played by Rob Brydon) blithely asking how many people's sent to the gallows that week (22, but it was only Tuesday) before cavalierly slapping on a black cap and giving Oliver the death sentence for pickpocketing. Later in that same adaptation, in sentencing Fagin he simply puts on his black cap and slams his gavel and Fagin is taken away.

The cap has a black ColorMotif both because black is the traditional color of death and mourning, and to signify that the judge is humble before {{God}} who has the only real power over life and death.

* In Agatha Christie's ''AndThenThereWereNone'' after a Judge has been found dead, the other characters all make mention that there will be no more putting on his black cap and sending others to the gallows for him.
* In Pamela Branch's ''TheWoodenOvercoat'', the character of Benji wonders, during a trial, why the judge has his black cap tucked up under his desk?

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cap#/media/File:Seddon_being_sentenced_to_death.jpg This photo from 1912]] is the only known image of the Black Cap being actually worn while a death sentence is being pronounced. Mr Justice Bucknill, is seen passing sentence on the convicted murderer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Seddon Frederick Seddon]], who poisoned his tenant Eliza Mary Barrow. Seddon was hanged a month later.

* In the final scene of ''Film/{{M}}'', Hans Beckert's sentence is never revealed, but consider that one of the five judges puts on a black cap, and his time on Earth may soon be over.

* In Blackadder's courtmartial in ''Series/BlackadderGoesForth'' General Melchett assures Blackadder that he'll be an impartial judge, then calls for the black cap because he'll be needing it.

* The {{BBC}}'s 2007 mini-series version of OliverTwist has the Judge (played by Rob Brydon) blithely asking how many people's sent to the gallows that week (22, but it was only Tuesday) before cavalierly slapping on a black cap and sending giving Oliver the death sentence for pickpocketing. Later in that same adaptation, in sentencing Fagin he simply puts on his black cap and slams his gavel and Fagin is taken away.

In UsefulNotes/BritishCourts, a black cap[[note]]A simple square of black silk placed over the top of the judge's wig, with the sides perpendicular to the side of his or her head.[[/note]] is the ultimate symbol of doom for a condemned man. Seeing a judge put it on lets all present in the courtroom know that, barring some miraculous appeal or other happenstance, the fate of the prisoner at the dock has been sealed. The sentence of death shall soon be passed. While British Judges are still issued the caps, the death penalty has been abolished[[note]]Although the unlikely-to-be-enforced offences of [[LittleKnownFacts violent piracy and high treason were both technically capital crimes until 1998]].[[/note]] (and now banned Europe-wide by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_Kingdom European Convention on Human Rights]]), so they're unlikely to ever see use (with the possible exception of cases where British Law Lords still act as court of final appeal for residual colonies or for former colonies which apply British law and still have the death penalty).

Useless trivia: when the British ruled over Ireland and were arguably over-fond of imposing draconian penalties on the natives, the judicial black cap was known in Gaelic as the cai-bais, pronounced "kybosh". Thus a new word entered English. Of course, the judge wasn't so much putting the kybosh on his own head as, symbolically, on the condemned man's...

In UsefulNotes/BritishCourts, a black cap is the ultimate symbol of doom for a condemned man. Seeing a judge put it on lets all present in the courtroom know that, barring some miraculous appeal or other happenstance, the fate of the prisoner at the dock has been sealed. The sentence of death shall soon be passed. While British Judges are still issued the caps, the death penalty has been abolished[[note]]Although the unlikely-to-be-enforced offences of [[LittleKnownFacts violent piracy and high treason were both technically capital crimes until 1998]].[[/note]] (and now banned Europe-wide by the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_Kingdom European Convention on Human Rights]]), so they're unlikely to ever see use (with the possible exception of cases where British Law Lords still act as court of final appeal for residual colonies or for former colonies which apply British law and still have the death penalty).