Saddam Hussein’s trial resumed today with a new judge after a shake up that raised worries over whether political interference is threatening the tribunal’s independence.

The court trying Saddam Hussein cancelled the resumption of his trial today, delaying the session for five days. The postponement came amid a squabble among judges over a last-minute shake-up in the court, according to judges.

The resumption of Saddam Hussein’s mass murder trial was delayed for several hours today, apparently as the sides wrangled over a last-minute shake-up in the court in which a new chief judge was appointed.

Saddam Hussein’s trial was to resume today, a day after court officials named a new chief judge and ousted another jurist off the five-member panel trying the former Iraqi leader.