Prosecutors and the ACT government have lost an attempt to prosecute a kangaroo cull protester behind closed doors.
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The case against Christiaan Klootwijk, 70, resumed in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday morning, continuing a lengthy prosecution over his alleged blowing of a whistle near a cull site last year.
Klootwijk is accused of hindering the cull workers by making loud noises, which included blowing a whistle.
It is alleged that his actions were designed to scare off kangaroos, making it difficult for them to be shot, and halted the cull for about 45 minutes.
Klootwijk is defending the charges, and his barrister Jack Pappas is questioning the validity of the government's shooting licence, and arguing employees were not actually hindered by his client.
On Friday morning, solicitors representing the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate appeared in court, seeking only certain parts of the proceedings be closed to the public.
It was argued that confidential details of its commercial relationship with the shooters needed to be kept secret, and government employees needed to be kept safe by limiting the disclosure of their personal information.
The prosecution supported the application, and took it further, arguing the entirety of the proceedings should now be conducted in secret.
They reiterated their arguments that cull opponents were "highly active and aggressive", and had deposited dead animal carcasses and targeted the houses of those involved in the operation.
Members of the public were also alleged to have taken photos of witnesses on the last day of hearings, the prosecution said.
Mr Pappas said aspects of the commercial relationship between the shooting contractors and the government could easily be navigated without allowing sensitive issues, such as the rate of pay, to become public.
He said other protections could be put in place to guard the identity of government workers or contractors.
Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker refused to close the court for the remainder of the hearing.
She said maintaining an open and transparent court must be the starting point when considering such questions.
Ms Walker said the identities of those involved in the cull were already likely known to protesters, and that their names and identities were already suppressed.
The hearing then resumed, and a park ranger gave evidence about the night of the cull in question, on July 1, 2015.
He said he received a report of whistling and yelling, and ordered the shooters check their fire.
The ranger said he then sat and waited until the noises were investigated.
In cross-examination, Mr Pappas asked the ranger whether he had been told the noises were to alert those involved in the cull that an animal was wounded.
Guidelines on the humane culling of kangaroos and wallabies specify that shooters must stop and investigate if they are made aware an animal has been wounded but is not dead.
The ranger said he was never told the whistling or yelling related to a wounded animal.
The hearing continues on Thursday.
