District Court Judge Penelope Wass has been ordered to step aside from criminal cases following a dispute with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The Director of Public Prosecutions successfully appealed after it became known that Wass had sent and received undisclosed messages with lawyers involved in proceedings. The conflict between the judge and the prosecution head led to her disqualification.

The matter has drawn attention in Sydney legal circles as a rare public clash between a sitting judge and the state prosecution authority. The dispute was described as a bitter feud before the top prosecutor won the appeal.