Judge who wore ‘Make America Great Again’ hat in court no longer hearing cases

HAMILTON – An Ontario judge who reportedly wore a hat with a Donald Trump slogan in a courtroom is no longer being assigned cases.

An Ontario Court of Justice spokeswoman says Justice Bernd Zabel stopped hearing cases in court on Dec. 21.

Kate Andrew did not give a reason for the decision, and said there would be no further comment on the matter.

The Globe and Mail has reported that on Nov. 9, the day after Trump won the U.S. election, Zabel entered a Hamilton courtroom wearing a hat that read “Make America Great Again.”

The incident raised concerns about Zabel’s impartiality in the courtroom, and complaints about the incident were filed to the Ontario Judicial Council, a body that investigates the conduct of provincially appointed judges.

Zabel later called his behaviour a “lapse in judgement,” and reportedly issued an apology to the courts, the bar and his colleagues.