Daily London
A date has been set for a hearing on a bid to block the youngest Snowtown serial killer from being released on parole, but it will be shrouded in secrecy.
The hearing will take place on December 5, but it will be held behind closed doors and the media won’t be permitted to attend, because under law these proceedings are always conducted in secret.
Reporters attended a brief hearing this morning, along with legal representatives, including the lawyer for James Vlassakis.
Vlassakis was convicted over four of the 11 Snowtown murders in the 1990s.
Parole board commissioner Michael David KC allowed a discussion about whether the media could be given access to the high-profile appeal, but he ruled these hearings must take place in private.
Vlassakis, now 45 years old, was controversially granted parole in August after serving 26 years, but the South Australian attorney-general launched an 11th-hour bid to put that release on ice.
Kyam Maher asked for a review saying the parole board failed to give proper consideration to community safety.
