A Canadian judge who wore a hat in court with Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" has been suspended without pay.

The Ontario Judicial Council said Tuesday that the conduct of Justice Bernd Zabel warrants the most serious reprimand possible short of removing him from the bench.

The council said the hat incident was an "inexplicable act of judicial misconduct" from an otherwise respected judge.

Zabel will be suspended for 30 days. He has not been assigned cases since January.

Zabel at his hearing last month that he meant to lighten the mood by wearing the Trump cap when he walked into the court on Nov. 9, 2016 -- the day after Trump won the U.S. election.

Zabel's action prompted 81 complaints.

