About a year ago, something happened to the Judge which seriously effected his thinking. Did he fall off a ladder or get in a serious accident?
I noticed the change too - maybe Shep “attacked” him and he didn’t resist enough...
My theory is that after he accused GCHQ of spying on the President and was suspended, he spent his "free" time on the open ocean in a container. Fasting and cattle prods ensued.
Or he could no longer get good reservations or decent tee times. One of those.