“It is accepted that a judge is permitted to ask questions in order to clarify evidence that has been given by a witness or witnesses. The appellant submitted that the trial judge here went well beyond those well-established bounds. In questioning Dr. Pickup and Dr. Jaffe, the trial judge appeared to make negative findings of credibility against the wife, and put those findings to the witnesses by way of cross-examination. In the course of questioning these witnesses, he also appeared to be filling holes in the husband’s testimony.
It is crucial for trial judges to maintain their independence and impartiality throughout; the process depends upon it. When one party is self-represented, balancing trial efficiency and effectiveness with the appearance of independence and impartiality can be truly challenging.”