Italy's top appeals court began hearing on Tuesday an appeal against a house arrest order issued to the captain of the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that sank in January.
The Rome-based Court of Cassation was expected to announce its decision by Wednesday.
Captain Francesco Schettino was taken into custody on January 14, one day after the Costa Concordia ran aground near the island of Giglio, off Italy's western coast.
Thirty people have been certified dead from the disaster while two are still listed as missing.
Schettino faces charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship before all passengers were evacuated.
Lawyers representing Schettino want his house arrest lifted pending the outcome of an investigation into the sinking of the ship.
Prosecutors have also lodged an appeal with the Cassation arguing that Schettino should be held in prison and not under house arrest. The prosecutors say the captain may attempt to flee from justice or tamper with the evidence in the case. - Sapa-dpa