When Conscience Wears the Robe - Magistrate R Wong

On 20 November 2025, a routine court hearing at Blacktown Local Court revealed a rare moment of integrity in the justice system. The matter involved a self-represented defendant seeking nothing more than fairness — an opportunity to be heard and to prepare properly. What unfolded that day went beyond procedure; it became a quiet testament to judicial courage and the true meaning of justice.

In a time when many lose faith in the fairness of our justice system, there are moments that remind us that courage still lives within the walls of our courts. On 20 November 2025, at Blacktown Court, one such moment took place — quiet, unassuming, yet profoundly powerful.

Presiding Magistrate Rachael Wong faced a courtroom charged with tension. On one side stood the prosecution, fortified by the force of authority, armed with procedure and pressure. On the other stood an unrepresented citizen — a woman struggling not only with the weight of her case but with illness and exhaustion, fighting to be heard.

The hearing had been set for weeks, yet the prosecution only served the brief of evidence on the very morning of the hearing — around 10:30 a.m. on 20 November 2025. This last-minute service left no fair opportunity to review witness statements or transcripts essential to preparing a defence. Despite this delay and unwellness of the defendant, the prosecution insisted on proceeding immediately, showing little regard for due process or the principles of fairness that underpin every courtroom.

Despite the loud voices of the prosecutors and the procedural complexities before her, Magistrate Wong did not bend to expedience. She listened. She saw fairness not as a formality but as a living duty. She understood that justice is not served by silencing those who stand alone, but by ensuring they are given equal ground to speak.

When the prosecutors pressed for costs — an intimidating move that could have silenced many — the Magistrate instead chose the harder path: to uphold fairness. She dismissed the application for costs, reaffirming that justice is not about who speaks the loudest, but about who stands for what is right.

In that courtroom, law became more than words in a statute. It became compassion in action.

The courage of one judicial officer restored faith in the integrity of the bench — showing that even amid procedural storms and prosecutorial pressure, truth and fairness can still prevail when the robe is worn with conscience.

Anyone can wear a robe, but conscience is not a trait that comes with a position. It is an individual trademark — and NSW Magistrate Rachael Wong clearly carried hers with honour.

Case Particulars

• Matter Title: R v MARIUM

• Case Number: 2025/00237982

• Date of Hearing: 20 November 2025

• Court: Blacktown Local Court, Room 2

• Presiding Magistrate: Her Honour Magistrate Rachael Wong