Former high-profile murder defendant Philip Polkinghorne's appeared at a procedural hearing - ahead of the coronial inquest into his wife's death

It'll set the stage for next year's inquiry into Pauline Hanna's cause of death

Polkinghorne's lawyers say he's open to giving evidence at the inquest.

At his trial, they argued Hanna committed suicide after decades of depression, paired with a high-stress job.

Jurors found Polkinghorne not guilty of murder in the High Court at Auckland last September.

Their note to the judge suggested they weren't entirely convinced of his version of events.