District Court Judge Penelope Wass has been ordered to stand down from criminal cases following a dispute with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully appealed after it emerged that Wass had sent and received undisclosed text messages with lawyers linked to proceedings. The conflict between the judge and the prosecution head led to her removal.

The matter has attracted notice in Sydney legal circles as a rare public clash between a sitting judge and the state prosecuting body. The dispute was characterised as a bitter feud before the top prosecutor won the appeal.