Legal experts say the spectacle of an accused murderer grilling the father of his alleged victim on the witness stand is an unusual manifestation of an increasingly common occurrence in the Canadian justice system.
Self-represented defendants are arguing their criminal cases before a judge or jury with greater frequency, despite the fact that doing so takes an extra toll on all concerned, they say.
In one recent example, Dellen Millard, who is accused in the murder of a Toronto woman who vanished five years ago, has been cross examining those close to his alleged victim as he represents himself at trial, leading to some testy exchanges in court.
Experts say financial considerations are at the heart of most self-representations, since legal aid frequently will not cover costs when someone is being tried for a minor offence and can't always be counted on when more serious charges are at play.
Lawyers say other common scenarios for self-representation involve either mental illness, distrust of authority or a belief that the defendant is the best person to handle the case.
Self-representations, they say, are becoming more common despite the fact that they prolong trials, place additional burdens on judges and take an emotional toll on both witnesses and the accused.
Trevor Farrow of York University's Osgoode Hall Law School said self-representation is inherently at odds with Canada's court practices.
"The system is not designed around the idea of self-represented litigants, it's designed around parties coming to court with counsel," Farrow said. "I think self-representation has a significant impact on all aspects of the system."
The Millard case offers a particularly stark illustration of the emotional impact self-representation can have on witnesses involved in the trial.
Millard, who is one of two co-accused in the death of Laura Babcock, came face-to-face with the victim's father on the witness stand on the first day of his trial this week. He acknowledged the potential difficulty for Clayton Babcock, inquiring if he was nervous and found the situation difficult, but proceeded to ask him such questions as whether or not he abused his daughter.