Tailored suit versus legal suit

I run a tailoring business focusing on corporate attire. We make high-end suits for many corporate clients, including law firms. One day, a junior team member at the office joked that tailors and lawyers are the same because we all deal in suits. Of course, we had a good laugh about it in the office. However, this joke has sparked my interest in the word ‘suit’. Why do lawyers use it all the time? Please enlighten me.
CP, Dar es Salaam

We, too, had a good laugh while reading your question. Yes, the joke is quite true: we all deal in suits. However, the meaning behind the word suit used by tailors and lawyers differs. While tailors use the word suit to refer to a specific type of tailored clothing, lawyers use it to refer to legal proceedings. In several cases, Courts have clarified what suit means in law. Generally, suits are proceedings of a civil nature in a Court of law involving two or more parties on a dispute or claim that needs to be adjudicated to determine or declare the rights of the disputing parties. The procedure for instituting and conducting such proceedings in Tanzania is described in the Civil Procedure Code, Cap. 33 [R.E 2019] and other written laws. Section 22 of the Civil Procedure Code recognises that a suit may be filed by a plaint or in any manner as may be presented. If you are interested in filing a suit, consult a lawyer. We wish you all the best in your tailoring business.