RED-FACED lawyers and judges hurriedly reached for their law books yesterday after finding out that their appeal hearing should be held in private.
By the time they discovered the error, they had been sitting in open court for three hours with a half-full public gallery and many interested reporters.
The embarrassing situation was discovered during the lunch break - and in the afternoon the public and press found the hearing had suddenly gone into camera.
They were excluded from court by a hand-written notice stuck on the court door.
The case was of public interest - a solicitor was appealing against a suspension ordered by the Law Society after he was found guilty of misconduct.
He was named in open court and full details of his conduct were given.
