Lawyers representing some of the 14 Ontario terror suspects accused of plotting to blow up buildings and behead the prime minister want the publication ban on the case lifted, which would make details of Canada's largest terrorism case public.

Lawyers representing various media outlets are also arguing to have the gag order lifted.

The prosecution, however, wants to keep details of the case under wrap until they are presented at trial as evidence, which is the usual protocol.

The arguments were made Thursday morning at a Brampton courthouse before the bail hearing of terror suspect Steven Chand.

The publication ban hearing and the bail hearing have been put over until Monday.

The latest development comes days after the Crown took the unusual step of abruptly halting a preliminary hearing to pursue a direct indictment, sending the suspects directly to trial.

The move stunned legal observers and angered defence lawyers, who use the preliminary hearing to test the Crown's evidence and cross-examine key witnesses.

"I was shocked that the Crown would do something like that," defence lawyer Michael Moon told reporters on Thursday, saying prosecutors had agreed in writing to carry out the preliminary hearing.

"My personal position is that that there was a resistance or a fear on the part of the Crown to have its agents subjected to cross-examination."

Moon said the proceeding was stopped while he was cross-examining key agent Mubin Shaikh, a prominent activist in Toronto's Muslim community who last year revealed he went undercover in the police sting.

The suspects saw their charges stayed and new proceedings started against them. The move caused them to be rearrested, fingerprinted and ordered directly to trial.

The group, including two men already released on bail, must reapply for release pending trial.

A Public Prosecution Service of Canada spokesman said the agency would not comment specifically on why the direct indictment route was taken.

Police rounded up 18 terror suspects in the Toronto area in June 2006.

Authorities accuse the men of plotting to blow up buildings around Toronto and storming Parliament in Ottawa to behead Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Three youths charged in the case have had charges against them stayed.

The trial for the remaining youth is scheduled to begin in March, while the trial for the 14 adults could be anywhere from six months to a year away.

With a report from CTV's Chris Eby