"Eye Rolling, Head Shaking, Grunting": – All No-No's, Says Court

To anyone in the legal profession, it hopefully comes as no surprise that "eye rolling, head shaking, grunting, snickering, guffawing and loud muttering" by counsel is inappropriate during a court hearing. Yet this was the needed admonishment from Ontario Superior Court Justice Chang in a recent case called China Yantai Friction Co. Ltd. v. Novalex Inc.

After sharply rebuking both lawyers who appeared on the matter, Justice Chang noted such courtroom misconduct was "neither a new nor a rare phenomenon", and has the potential to diminish the public's respect for the legal profession, and for the rule of law. 

Justice Chang then adds: "Whether the culprit is a lack of proper mentoring, an overconsumption of courtroom television shows, extended periods of time without in-person human interaction or something else entirely, a fundamental shift in mindset is required to stem this tide." 

See the full text of the case here, on CanLII: China Yantai Friction Co. Ltd. v. Novalex Inc.