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I'm not convinced. I'd have all the letters even if I hadn't bothered with the bars at all.

Needed earlier posters to show me where they are, admittedly, but the bars seem incidental.

Except they're mentioned in the title so must be important...but then "code" is in the last title but now we're told it's incidental.

I'm sure there's a explanation but this vague, unsatisfying, subjective endgame is sadly typical of Inquisitor under the current editor and is why it is no longer my favourite weekend crossword.

Hi betty2, hmm, I agree that the title and preamble could be better. We're usually told not to bother with bars for these gridfill puzzles but here they are crucial. As for 'code', I guess the setter was looking for a title that gave a clue to the solver about what to do but it potentially implies more than it means to.

betty2 - I know the meandering line of 'correct' letters isn't accidental, but the setter could always claim it was - it's a very non-standard line after all.
The two sets of letters differ significantly and the preamble does say we are to highlight them in the grid, and it's 'these' characters specifically that are to go below it.

I'm struggling to finish grid at bottom right - help would be appreciated with these -
Heartless rogue tails low-down sort (5)
Audibly perceive number for this object (6)
Bear witness to but not at trial (4)
Sorry, no letters, as don't know where they fit!

Bear witness to but not at trial (4) (AT) test

Hi lumen,
Gen + r(ogu)e
Sounds like "hear two"
(at)test.

Thanks both.
How does genre work? I get the 're' part!

Genre = sort, gen = low-down (information/news), tails goes after.

Oh that kind of low-down!
Thanks.
Ok, all complete, and now that I have entered all the bars in heavy felt pen I can see most (but not all) of the nine letters created - from the bars.

There are a mix of upper and lower case letters. This may have thrown you off the scent.