A deputy district judge has been issued with formal advice after she was found to have ‘rudely interrupted’ a complainant in court and ‘spoke in a tone that caused distress’.

Deputy district judge Marian Lynch’s behaviour was found, following an investigation, to have amounted to misconduct.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office said the judge had ‘rudely interrupted the complainant and spoke to her in an inappropriate tone on multiple occasions’. It said: ‘The Guide to Judicial Conduct reminds judges to be courteous, patient, tolerant and to respect the dignity of all.’

The judge had been ‘frustrated by a difficult day and…the behaviour was out of character’, the JCIO said.

It added: ‘She was remorseful and vowed to prevent such incidents in future. It was also noted that she had an unblemished conduct history and that a number of allegations were not upheld.’

Formal advice is the least severe sanction the can be issued by the JCIO.