The judge listed to preside over the trial for Domenic Perre, who is charged over the bombing the National Crime Authority office in Adelaide, has recused himself.
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Justice David Lovell stepped aside after a crown application related to him having sentenced a key witness in the case for other matters several years ago.
In the Supreme Court on Friday, prosecutor Sandi McDonald SC said the credibility of the witness could be a key factor in the case against the 61-year-old.
She told Justice Lovell that because of his prior involvement with the witness, he was privy to considerable information that he might not hear as the trial judge in the Perre case.
"We are not saying that Your Honour cannot bring a fair and impartial mind," Ms McDonald said.
"The issue for us is though that views might differ about that."
"We are taking a very risk-averse and conservative approach in making this application."
Gilbert Aitken, for Perre, said the defence did not take a position on the prosecution's request at this time.
Justice Lovell said while it was unfortunate the issue had been raised at a relatively late stage, given the circumstances, it was necessary for him to grant the application.
"There is a potential down the track for problems to arise and in those circumstances, given it's going to be a long trial, I should recuse myself," he said.
The judge's decision came after he recently rejected a bid by Perre to seek more clarity on the accusations against him.
At that time, Mr Aitken argued particulars in the prosecution's case "fundamentally contradict each other" and needed to be clearer before the case could proceed to trial.
Justice Lovell clarified the particulars in question with the prosecution, but said it was difficult to see any unfairness at present.
Perre has been charged with murder and attempted murder over the 1994 explosion, which killed Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen and injured NCA lawyer Peter Wallis.
He was arrested in 2018 following a joint investigation, lasting more than two years, by a number of state and federal authorities including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
He had been charged shortly after the bombing, but the charges were later withdrawn.
At a previous hearing in Adelaide Magistrates Court, Perre's defence argued that the only new evidence against him was a "conga line of informants".
The court was told those people were all "motivated by self-interest" and were "unconstrained by morality".
The NCA bombing has been one of South Australia's highest-profile cases, with a $1 million reward offered in 2008 for information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible.
Australian Associated Press
