united-states rules-of-court judge
Does the gavel have a legal significance, or is it purely ceremonial?
<p>Judges in US courtrooms famously use a gavel at appropriately dramatic points in a trial.  If a judge fails to use a gavel, or uses it at the wrong moment, is this legally significant?  Or is the gavel purely ceremonial?</p>

<p>It is purely ceremonial. The tendency in modern jurisprudence is towards the practical and away from legalisms and technicalities. Even if a judge used a gavel in some way inappropriately, it would be unlikely to have any legal significance for anyone but the judge.</p>
<p>An argument based on gavel misuse would fall into the &quot;fringe-on-the-flag&quot; category of legal arguments (yes, there are people who think that the court's powers are determined entirely by the fringe on the courhouse flag). The gavel is a traditional trapping of a common law courtroom, but has no legal significance.</p>
