The government's inquiry into Operation Burnham will be mostly held behind closed doors.
Photo: supplied
The inquiry is in response to serious allegations against the New Zealand Defence Force over their conduct in Afghanistan made by journalist Nicky Hager in his book Hit and Run.
Sir Terence Arnold and Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who are running the inquiry, have today released details on how the process will work.
They say while they want the inquiry to be transparent, much of the evidence will not be made public for safety reasons.
Only parts of the inquiry where classified documents aren't discussed will be open to the public, and all witnesses' evidence will be taken in closed hearings.
The inquiry heads said it could be the most complex inquiry ever held in New Zealand because much of the evidence and many of the witnesses need to be kept confidential.