The David versus Goliath lawsuit filed by Hugues Falys, a farmer and union leader from Belgium's western Hainaut province, kicked off last week in a commercial court in the city of Tournai.

Backed by environmental groups including Greenpeace, Falys is seeking compensation from TotalEnergies for damage to his farm, but also much broader action by the French energy group to stop investing in new fossil-fuel projects.

The trial was expected to run for a month, with the first arguments to be heard on Wednesday from TotalEnergies -- which disputes the farmer's claims as baseless.

But on Tuesday, the parties were informed of the court's "recusal," meaning at least one of the three judges declared they could not rule "objectively or impartially," according to a statement from the plaintiffs. No further explanation was provided.

Contacted by AFP, TotalEnergies confirmed the suspension of proceedings and said Wednesday's hearing would "only serve to set a new timetable".

"TotalEnergies' lawyers were informed by the court registry that the bench would be reconstituted," the group said in a statement. "The company stresses it had nothing to do with this decision and did not request it."

In Belgium, commercial courts -- which handle disputes between companies -- are composed of a professional judge assisted by two lay judges drawn from the business world for their expertise.

Falys is the first person to bring a climate case against a multinational company in Belgium, arguing that four extreme weather events linked to global warming between 2016 and 2020 harmed his business.

TotalEnergies, along with other oil giants, is a frequent target for climate and human rights activists.

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TotalEnergies