In Camera

Latin, meaning in a judge's chambers. Often means outside the presence of a jury and the public. In private.

Additional Sources

Answers.com

In private with a judge rather than in open court.

Duhaime Legal Dictionary

The hearing of a trial or hearing, in whole or in part, that is conducted in private and the pubic galleries are cleared and the doors locked, leaving only the judge, the Court clerk, the parties and lawyers and witnesses in attendance.

It is a rare and infrequent occurence for a Court to do this as public access and transparency are both paramount to justice.

However, from time to time, there are overriding concerns where the violation of personal privacy combined with the vulnerability of the witness or parties justifies an in camera hearing.

FindLaw

This refers to a hearing or discussions with the judge in the privacy of his chambers (office rooms) or when spectators and jurors have been excluded from the courtroom.

Lect Law Library

Refers to a hearing or inspection of documents that takes places in private, often in a judge's chambers. Depending on the circumstances, these can be either on or off the record, though they're usually recorded.

In camera hearings often take place concerninging delicate evidenciary matters, to shield a jury from bias caused by certain matters, or to protect the privacy of the people involved and are common in cases of guardianships, adoptions and custody disputes alleging child abuse.

Wikipedia

In camera (Latin: "in a chamber") is a legal term meaning "in private". It is also sometimes termed in chambers or in curia.

In camera describes court cases (or portions thereof) to which the public and press are not admitted. In camera is the opposite of trial in open court where all the parties and witnesses testify in a public courtroom, and attorneys make their arguments in public to the trier of fact.

Entire cases may be heard in camera when, for example, matters of national security are involved. In camera reviews may also be used during otherwise open trials - for example, to protect trade secrets or where one party asserts privilege (such as attorney attorney-client privileged communications). This allows the judge the opportunity to review the document in private before determining its admissibility in open court.

In camera may also be used to describe a closed board meetings which covers information not reflected in the minutes and not available to the public. Such sessions may discuss personnel, financial or other sensitive decisions that must be kept secret (for example, a proposed merger or strategic change which the organization does not yet want competitors to know about).