Former Bridgecorp director Rod Petricevic looks set to continue his fight for a taxpayer-funded defence of fraud charges.
Mr Petricevic and four other directors have been charged in relation to the collapse of the finance company in 2007.
On Tuesday, his bid for a stay in proceedings failed at the Auckland High Court.
Justice Venning says he believes Mr Petricevic has filed a fresh claim for legal aid on the grounds that his circumstances have changed.
Mr Petricevic had earlier been turned down because his family trust, of which his wife is a beneficiary, could be used to fund his defence.
But the judge says if the trust no longer has enough assets, Mr Petricevic is entitled to reapply.
In seeking a stay, Mr Petricevic had argued that because he had not been given legal aid, he could not afford a defence team and would not get a fair trial.
But Justice Venning says the lack of a defence lawyer does not necessarily make a trial unfair and though it is not an ideal situation, Mr Petricevic is an expert in the matters that will be raised.
