Six top bank executives whose reputations have been stewing on a griddle of criminal cartel charges for almost three years have a new man in their lives – Federal Court Judge Michael Wigney.

At 9am on Monday, Wigney will pick up where he left off in December, trying to push defence barristers, prosecutors and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission – which brought cartel charges over trading in ANZ shares – towards the starting line for Australia’s biggest white-collar criminal case.