Ontario Judge Bernd Zabel displayed contempt for his position and its political impartiality by showing up for work the day after the US election in a Donald Trump “Make America Great Again” hat, which he wore, and then perched on his bench.
Osgoode Hall law professor Gus Van Harten has filed a formal complaint with the Ontario Judicial Council, saying the judge is now “tainted” and should not preside over cases where the litigants are “women, Mexicans, Muslims and persons with disabilities” because Trump campaigned by disparaging and attacking these groups.
Matthew Green, Hamilton’s first black councillor, commented on that implication that the judge’s authority is tainted, saying that if he’d been convicted by the judge, he’d be seeking an appeal. He, too, called on Zabel to step down from the bench.“Given the divisive nature of the recent American election with its clear racism, sexism and xenophobia, if true, this alarming display by a Canadian judge only serves to underscore the distrust many Canadians feel in our own so-called ‘justice system,'” Green said.
Law professor wants Ontario judge disciplined for reportedly wearing Trump hat
[CBC]
(Image: Washington Post)
(Thanks, Ed!)