A story of courage and dismay was told to me recently and it is one I feel compelled to share, for those who follow. In hopes that this tale might help that sweet soul who needs it today.

In the courtrooms of Australia, justice is often portrayed as blind, focused solely on facts, evidence and legal precedent - however behind it: fairness, decency, and human compassion.

In a recent case, that human element took centre stage, if only for a moment. And it wasn’t the legal arguments or technical defences that captured the court’s attention, it was what was missing: kindness.

A mother with a debt on her head, for arrears she could not pay herself - arising from injustice from another faced the court one sunny day in September.

As the proceedings unfolded, it became increasingly clear that while one party had acted with transparency, vulnerability, and a genuine desire to resolve matters amicably, the other had approached the case with a cold, transactional mindset from a corporation that ignored the very real emotional and financial toll inflicted on the individual on the other side. The judge’s dismay was unmistakable. 

This woman who is a mother, a warrior and a kind soul - standing in her own personal capacity - bore her wounds with dignity. She spoke from an open and honest place, with only her truths and the truths of the matter as her shield. As they were her only saving grace.

Her words were dismissed as irrelevant and of no use to the matter. Her truths gone unheard.

The corporation played dirty. With full knowledge of the Law, had sent all communications and final demands, to an address they knew was no more. A dirt pile where a gran establishment had once risen. Our lady-fair's pride and joy. 

File as exhibit B, our heroine's only straw to grasp being that she knew they had played this hand.

The judge did not mince words. They acknowledged the legal boundaries within which they were required to operate, but also made clear that justice is not a vacuum. It exists within a social context, one that demands a basic level of empathy and decency from all participants. Urging the corporation to settle, they called for compassion to enter the courtroom,  not as a legal tactic, but as a human necessity.

Because when a party refuses to engage in meaningful dialogue, ignores attempts at resolution, and treats the process as a game to be won at all costs, they may achieve a short-term legal advantage. But often, as was evident here, they lose something far greater: credibility, respect, and the goodwill of the people present in the room that day.

This moment served as a powerful reminder that even in legal disputes, especially in legal disputes,  there is room for humanity. The judge’s words echoed a deeper truth: how you treat others, particularly when they are vulnerable, matters. The words “dismayed at a corporation’s inability to show kindness and compassion” rang loud and clear that day. 

The day Justice showed its humility and human-qualities,  where a corporation could not.

There are no losses, only lessons. And perhaps, in this case, the lesson wasn’t just for her. It was for all who watched, for all who heard. 

This woman may not be remembered in legal textbooks. But in the hearts of those present, her courage, her grace, her humility and her unwavering honesty left a mark.

In the end, the law may decide outcomes.
But compassion?
Compassion shapes legacies.

I don't know this woman, but I bless her with a thousand thankyou's for sharing this moment in time. For shining light for those lucky enough not to tread that path - that the rooms of the courtroom need not be feared and there is humanity within.