A so-called "preliminary hearing" will be held on 12 September 2022 at 9:00 am.

It will be presided over by the President of the Court of Assizes who will sit alone, without the jury. At the end of this hearing, a judgment will be rendered which will determine the list of witnesses and their order of appearance.

Due to the number of parties, the judgment will not be delivered on the same day but on a date to be communicated by the president of the Court of Assizes at the end of the preliminary hearing. The order of witnesses determined in the judgment may be changed by the president, by virtue of his/her discretionary powers, at any time during the trial. At this hearing, the parties may raise procedural issues relating to the admissibility of the proceedings in submissions. In such event, the president of the Court of Assizes will address them by means of a ruling.

The hearing for the composition of the jury will be held on 30 November 2022 at 9:00 a.m., and will be chaired by the president of the Court of Assizes assisted by two assessors. It will be held throughout the day. The hearing will not be closed until the jurors have been sworn in. 600 persons have been summoned to the hearing as potential jurors. Exemptions have already been granted by the president of the court (see "I have been summoned as a juror").

The hearings on the merits will start on Monday 5 December 2022 at 9.00 am. Thereafter, the Court of Assizes will sit, in principle, from Monday to Thursday, Friday being a lay-day, which can be used, if necessary, for additional hearings.

The hearings will be held, in principle, from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (with breaks, including for lunch).

The hearings will be suspended:

• from Monday 26 December 2022 to Tuesday 3 January 2023,
• from Monday 20 February 2023 to Sunday 26 February 2023,
• for the spring holidays, but the days are yet to be determined.

Because of the probable duration of the trial, the schedule (including the timing of witnesses) will be specified from month to month and communicated at the public hearing.

The hearings will be held in the Justitia building, avenue du Bourget 22 at 1130 Brussels.

The main courtroom seats 170 persons.

Lawyers of the accused will be placed in the courtroom in front of the box of the accused. 100 places are reserved for the civil parties, and 30 places are reserved for their lawyers.

Two other rooms are reserved for the public in which the trial will be broadcasted live (sound and image) but without any possible interaction.

Another room is reserved for journalists.

There are also seven relay courtrooms that are linked to the main courtroom, by sound and image, with interaction in both directions. The relay rooms are linked to the main courtroom.

You must have an identity document.

You will pass through three security gates.

You will not be allowed to bring food or drink into the building. The premises have a cafeteria.