333. Right to a public hearing.

Holding proceedings in public1 protects litigants from the secret processes shielded from public scrutiny, and as such it is an important means by which confidence in the courts can be maintained2. While the requirement of publicity is particularly significant in the criminal context3, it also applies in the determination of civil rights and obligations, especially when a hearing is the sole instance at which a dispute will be considered and where matters of fact fall for consideration