Private meetings between a judge and a witness — even if motivated by welfare concerns and consented to by counsel — constitute a fundamental irregularity that cannot be waived and will occasion a substantial miscarriage of justice requiring a new trial.
The full text is available to signed-in members, including the 7 later cases that cite this judgment.
3 of the 7 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.