The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department announced Monday that, from the beginning of 2020, it would be reducing the number of weekly oral argument sessions from three to just two.

According to a terse public notice issued by the Manhattan-based frontline appeals court, the change would coincide with the start of its January 2020 term and would remain in effect "until further notice." The new practice, a change from the way the First Department typically hears appeals, would apply, "except as otherwise indicated by the court's calendar," the announcement said.

The move follows Presiding Justice Rolando Acosta's decision in March to scale back its panels from five judges to four, amid a significant number of vacancies on the 20-member bench.