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 messages with lawyers linked to proceedings. The conflict between the judge and the prosecution head resulted in her removal.

The matter has attracted notice in Sydney legal circles as a rare public clash between a sitting judge and the state prosecution authority. The dispute was characterised as a bitter feud before the top prosecutor secured the ruling.