Prosecutors have asked a judge to impose an urgent suppression order over the identities over former SAS soldiers granted immunity to testify in the murder trial of Victoria Cross awardee Ben Roberts-Smith.

The hearing, which was granted on one hour’s notice on Friday afternoon, was called in response to articles in The Nightly about the backgrounds of two of the witnesses, who have been accused of executing prisoners in Afghanistan during the war.

At the Downing Centre in central Sydney, Judge Susan Horan expressed annoyance at government lawyers for calling the urgent hearing after the judge considered similar arguments in the same case on Thursday morning.

“I am not particularly thrilled,” Ms Horan told barrister Chelsea Brain, who is presenting the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Please explain why this was not raised yesterday. The resources of the Local Court are slim at best. I don’t want the parties to think they can raise matters at very short notice.”

The hearing has been temporarily halted for the arrival of witnesses for the government.