The complainant was in court responding to a bankruptcy trial and was questioned by the judge regarding certain missing assets.

20160014 - The complainant was in court responding to a bankruptcy trial and was questioned by the judge regarding certain missing assets. During the trial, there was un-contradicted evidence of the complainant’s drug use and its high costs. The complainant alleged that the judge asked questions that were perceived as belittling and demeaning due to his past drug use. In reviewing the matter, the member of the JCC noted that judges are free to ask questions to clarify the information that is provided to them during a hearing, especially when the information is evasive. The judge did apologize to the complainant for having made him feel embarrassed in court, adding that he had no personal animosity towards the complainant, nor did he intend to demean him in any way. The JCC member reviewing the file was satisfied with the explanation and comments of the judge and perceived this complaint as not requiring further consideration.