Justice loses credibility when status changes how the rule is interpreted.

Nothing erodes trust in a system faster than watching the same rule bend for the well-connected and hold firm for everyone else. The rules may still be written fairly; what people observe is who gets the benefit of the doubt. Once that pattern is visible, compliance becomes a matter of calculation rather than belief, and it is very hard to restore.

Wherever you have authority, watch how you handle the well-liked and the well-placed. The exception you make for someone who is easy to like is visible to everyone who is not. If you would not extend it downward, do not extend it upward.