A High Court judge has stepped down from hearing the case of three men associated with the collapsed firm Dominion Finance, and has made an order for a new trial.
In a ruling this morning Justice Pamela Andrews - who had been hearing the trial for one and a half days - said she could not continue to try the case.
A new trial involving the accused Dominion director Robert Whale, former chief executive Paul Cropp and a man with name suppression is now due to begin next Monday in the High Court at Auckland in front of Justice Graham Lang.
Justice Andrews has ordered details of her ruling cannot be reported until submissions had been received from lawyers.
