The trial of the man accused of murdering Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe will begin next February.
Lawyers for Brett Peter Cowan, 43, appeared in court in Brisbane on Thursday where Supreme Court Justice Roslyn Atkinson confirmed his trial will begin on February 10.
The trial is expected to take six weeks.
Potential jurors could be questioned in an attempt to eliminate any who may be prejudiced by pre-trial publicity.
The strategy was used during jury selection in the trial of former Bundaberg surgeon Jayant Patel.
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Justice Atkinson told Cowan's defence barrister Angus Edwards she'd like him to consider doing the same, to which he replied he was considering it.
Mr Edwards sought an extension of time to prepare documents ahead of a pre-trial hearing set to begin on November 6.
Eighteen witnesses had been expected to appear during the week-long hearing, but Mr Edwards said the number of witnesses had since been cut by about a half.
The barrister said he intended to submit evidence of pre-trial publicity to the court in relation to an application to have the trial stopped.
He said if that application was not granted it was unlikely the defence would make another.
Justice Atkinson requested arrangements be made during next year's trial for a room in the building to be made available to Daniel Morcombe's family.
The trial should also be streamed into a separate court for members of the public to allow access, she said.
Daniel was 13 when he went missing while waiting for a bus on the Sunshine Coast in December 2003.
Cowan was committed in February to stand trial for his abduction and murder.
