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we wouldn't need McKenzie friends at all if the judges were more user-friendly as they are in the US small claim and family courts with LIPs. but our erudite British bench refuses to engage with LIPs and treats them as unwelcome nuisances which makes the courtroom a stressful ordeal for the pro se litigant. The judges don't have to be quite 'Judge Judy' but they cant behave like bigwigs with an LIP The judges should be trained to affirmatively assist in getting out the facts instead of playing at being pompous high priests of the law. I would suggest that a great deal of the problem is that the bench is usually chosen from the bar and these are typically barristers with no experience in dealing with clients and doing intakes on new cases. Rather they are accustomed to having the case laid out for them by solicitors and this carries over to the courtroom.