District Court Judge Penelope Wass has been instructed to stand down from criminal matters following a disagreement 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 top prosecutor led to her disqualification.

The matter has attracted notice in Sydney legal circles as an unusual public clash between a sitting judge and the state prosecuting body. The dispute was described as a sharp disagreement before the top prosecutor won the appeal.