If accused serial killer Robert Pickton faces more than one trial on charges he killed 26 women, there's a good chance the public won't find out the details of the case for years, legal experts say.

"As soon as there was a suggestion that some counts be split and tried first, there was an obvious expectation on the part of Crown and defence that there will be a publication ban cloaking the entire first trial with secrecy," [David Sutherland] said.

Sutherland said when there are multiple accused facing separate trials or one accused facing multiple charges as Pickton is, the likelihood of a publication ban on a trial is not unheard of.