In Camera
Latin: 'in the chamber'. Proceedings heard in private, with the public and press excluded, as an exception to the default rule that court hearings are open to the public. Now more often described as a hearing 'in private'.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
CPS guidance frames the default position first, so that departures from it are understood as genuinely exceptional: 'It has long been established in England and Wales that criminal proceedings should take place in open court and be freely reported. This is the principle of open justice.' At common law that presumption runs deep: 'At common law, there is a presumption that a trial on indictment must be held in a public court with open doors.'
Sitting in private is nevertheless available in defined circumstances. The same guidance explains that 'There are certain situations where proceedings can be heard in private (‘in camera’), when the public are excluded and the doors of the court-room closed', giving examples such as protecting a child witness or preventing prejudice to national security, and noting that the power is governed in the criminal courts by Part 6 of the Criminal Procedure Rules. Because it cuts against open justice, courts treat sitting in camera as a course of last resort rather than a routine option.
Related terms
Official sources
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