Because of its expected length, the case was scheduled as a "trial at bar", a device that allowed a panel rather than a single judge to hear it.

Attorney General then nominated three Judges to hear the case at Trial at Bar, High court, Colombo on 27 November 2002.

Lord Chief Justice Tindal and the other judges of the court presided at the trial at bar in Westminster Hall which started on 28 November 1838.

But the first Trial at Bar held in 1962, under the new law, however the judges dissolved the court saying that they were appointed by the Executive, when the latter had no constitutional right to do so.

All the defendants were acquitted after a famous trial at bar case in which 72 Tamil lawyers including S. J. V. Chelvanayakam and G. G. Ponnambalam acted for the defence.

There were some months of investigations initially held at Bow Street, following which the 'trial at bar' (a legal procedure reserved only for very important cases) began on 20 June 1896, at the High Court of Judicature.