The complainant alleged that the judge, during a child custody hearing, ignored certain evidence in his decisions

20050002 - The complainant alleged that the judge, during a child custody hearing, ignored certain evidence in his decisions, refused to isten, spoke discourteously, demonstrated a bias against men and held pre-conceived ideas about the case before the hearing began.

Review: The Chairperson of the Judicial Conduct Committee asked the judge to comment and provide court transcripts and related documents. Upon completing his review, the Chairperson found that there was no basis to support the allegations that the judge refused to listen or spoke discourteously.

Indeed, the transcript showed that the complainant was given ample opportunity to be heard, and that the judge listened patiently throughout the proceedings. In the opinion of the Chairperson, the judge was sensitive and polite at all times during the proceedings.

As for the allegation of “pre-conceived ideas,” it was found to be completely without support. The complainant was advised that his allegations were, in essence, nothing other than dissatisfaction with the decisions reached by the Court. He was advised that the Council has no mandate to review the correctness of judicial decisions and that his complaint was unfounded.