Pauline Wright is a magistrate who loves to sing and act. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Pauline Wright has built one of the most eclectic careers imaginable. She studied filmmaking, acted on the TV drama GP, wrote a children’s book, helped launch the Iron Cove Theatre, sang at jazz nights, and earned a formidable reputation as a criminal lawyer — rising along the way to serve as president of the NSW Law Society. In 2024, she brought that wealth of experience to Griffith as the presiding magistrate of the local court.
It is little wonder, then, that she has been invited to join an upcoming International Women’s Day panel — alongside restaurateur Bonnie Owen and jewellery maker Kristy-lee Agresta — to reflect on authority, trust and the institutions that serve the community.
For a woman who built her career in the male-dominated legal profession of the mid-1980s, the theme is a familiar one.
“As a young lawyer back in the day, I was very much underestimated by the people I dealt with — until they saw me in action,” she said.
“Their attitudes changed pretty quickly after that.
“I’d be underestimated by witnesses I was cross-examining, and I would sometimes use that to my advantage — lulling them into a false sense of security.”
Her career has not been without confrontation. She has been stared down by bikies and, after a family law trial, was once punched in the face by an angry male defendant. None of it, she says, caused her to back down.
“When dealing with an aggressive male, I always let them have their say, and then quietly and firmly put them right,” she said.
“There’s no point speaking over the top of them or trying to shut them down. You listen, and then, when they’ve finished, you calmly tell them what’s what.”
Now seated behind the bench, the 64-year-old runs a courtroom that is less formal in tone, but firm on respect.
“I get called everything from ‘Your Majesty’ to ‘miss’ or ‘love’ — you don’t get male magistrates being called the same things,” she said.
“I usually let it go, unless it’s clearly intended to be derogatory.”
Magistrates’ ability to balance authority with empathy is under intense scrutiny, with growing calls to end bail for alleged domestic violence offenders following a number of high-profile murders of women.
“There’s a real misconception about bail,” she said.
“Bail is much harder to get now than it ever was. Police make the initial bail decisions, and I think they’re diligent about weeding out those who pose the highest risk.
“But you can never guarantee that someone won’t offend while on bail. What we have to remember is that when people are charged with an offence, they are presumed to be innocent.”
In the cauldron of the courtroom, Magistrate Wright regularly confronts the worst of human behaviour. She is particularly concerned about the grip of methylamphetamine (ice) in Griffith.
“It’s a terrible drug, and it’s so widely used in this community,” she said.
“It’s bad for people’s health, bad for their behaviour, and it makes them do things they would never otherwise do.”
Managing that exposure to trauma — ranging from domestic violence to sexual assault to violent crime — is an ongoing challenge. For her, the answer lies in switching off completely.
“At the end of the day, I try to do something totally unrelated to the law — singing, reading, swimming. It takes my mind right off it.”
In Griffith, she has found an ideal place to do just that.
“I always knew it had a fantastic food and wine scene, dominated by the Italian culture,” she said.
“But I was really pleasantly surprised to find such a strong Punjabi community as well, along with Filipino and Islander communities. I love its multicultural feel.”
For a magistrate who has spent a lifetime navigating authority, resilience and change, it is a community that feels, unmistakably, like home — and one she is now keen to share her experience with at the upcoming event.
The International Women’s Day Panel featuring Pauline Wright, Bonnie Owen and Kristy-lee Agresta and facilitated by Nehma Vitols commences at 6 pm on Friday 13 March at Berton Vineyards, 55 Mirrool Avenue, Yenda. Tickets can be purchased online.
