The jury in the Supreme Court trial of former New South Wales Labor minister Eddie Obeid has been dismissed in Sydney.

Key point: Labor minister Eddie Obeid has pleaded not guilty to wilful misconduct in public office

Labor minister Eddie Obeid has pleaded not guilty to wilful misconduct in public office Jury dismissed because new evidence came to light in the trial

Jury dismissed because new evidence came to light in the trial No date set for new trial

Obeid, 72, had pleaded not guilty to wilful misconduct in public office over an approach to NSW Maritime Authority deputy CEO Steve Dunn in 2007 regarding restaurant leases in Circular Quay.

The court heard Obeid intended to get a positive outcome on the leases.

The judge told the court new evidence had come to light "that neither the prosecution or the defence had the chance to examine", and the action was not due to any failing by the jury.

No date has been set for a new trial.

The trial had started on February 10.

The Supreme Court had heard the Obeid Family Trust Number 2 had an interest in the leases for Cafe Sorentino and Quay Eatery, which were operated by Circular Quay Restaurants Pty Ltd (CQR).

In his opening address, defence barrister Braddon Hughes SC said Obeid had an indirect interest in two leases under a discretionary family trust and said he did nothing wrong in meeting with Mr Dunn.

The crown said during the trial that Obeid knew Mr Dunn from when he was fisheries minister and Mr Dunn was director-general of NSW Fisheries.

The leases ended in August 2005 and a commercial mediator was sought to direct negotiations of new leases, rather than a public tender.

In his opening address for the crown, Peter Neil SC outlined CQR had bought the leases for $2 million in 2002.

Obeids talked rugby league, not business: son

Obeid's son, Damien Obeid, testified at the hearing and said that once his father entered politics, he and his brother took over the family business.

He outlined to the court that he never discussed with his father concerns about the loss of value in the business due to problems over leasing arrangements.

When asked by the crown about cash payments being made to family members from the leases, Damian Obeid told the court he gave his mother about $1,000 per week from the restaurants, but she had received similar cash payments since the family started the business.

Damian Obeid told the court that the family did not discuss business at weekends and instead talked about rugby league.

Lawyer Paul Scanlan, who acted as a mediator for the lessees, said he was surprised to receive a call in 2006 from the ports minister at the time, Joe Tripodi, asking him to meet about the matter.

When they met, the minister said he would look into the matter, Mr Scanlan told the court.