The appellant, a self-represented litigant at trial, appealed a Small Claims Court judgment ordering him to pay damages for a breached vehicle lease.
The Divisional Court found that the trial judge failed to properly consider a preliminary motion regarding a prior dismissed action and treated the appellant unfairly throughout the trial.
The trial judge repeatedly interrupted, made sarcastic and denigrating comments, and elicited irrelevant and prejudicial evidence.
The Divisional Court concluded that the cumulative effect of the trial judge's conduct gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias, rendering the trial unfair.
The trial judgment and the underlying order reinstating the action were set aside.