The South Australian Parole Administrative Review Commissioner will start hearing submissions in December as to why Snowtown killer James Vlassakis should not be released on parole.

Commissioner Michael David KC today decided the private hearing will be closed to the media.

In August, the South Australian Parole Board announced its decision to release Vlassakis on parole after serving 26 years of his sentence.

However, Attorney-General Kyam Maher requested a review of the decision earlier this month.

Vlassakis, now aged in his mid 40s, was the youngest of the four perpetrators involved in the "bodies-in-the-barrels" serial killings between 1992 to 1999.

He was a key prosecution witness in the cases against John Bunting and Robert Wagner — both of whom are serving life sentences withou

See Full Page