Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson have arrived at the Old Bailey in London on the first day of their trial on charges linked to phone hacking and alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

Brooks, ex-editor of the Sun and now defunct News of the World newspapers, and Coulson, also a former NoW editor, faced massed ranks of media outside the central criminal court on Monday morning.

Phone-hacking trial: Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie arrive at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Brooks, 45, from Churchill, Oxfordshire, who resigned from News International in July 2011, faces five charges spanning more than a decade, including one charge in relation to allegations of conspiracy to hack phones.

She has denied the charge and two further allegations that she conspired with others to commit misconduct in public office. She has also pleaded not guilty to two charges that she conspired with others to pervert the course of justice.

Phone-hacking trial: Andy Coulson arrives at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Coulson, 45, from Preston, Kent, who quit Downing Street in January 2011, is facing three charges in relation to his time as editor of the News of the World.

He has denied two charges relating to an alleged conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. He has also pleaded not guilty to allegations linked to a phone-hacking conspiracy on the paper.

Brooks's racehorse trainer husband, Charlie Brooks, 50, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice, as has her former personal assistant at News International Cheryl Carter, 49, and News International's head of security Mark Hanna.

Phone-hacking trial: Clive Goodman arrives at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Ian Edmondson, 44, ex-head of news at the News of the World, and Stuart Kuttner, 73, former managing editor of the paper, each face one charge in relation to a conspiracy to hack phones.

Clive Goodman, 56, former News of the World royal editor, is accused of conspiring with Coulson to commit misconduct in public office.

The case started with a half an hour of legal discussions before the jury selection process started.

Phone-hacking trial: Stuart Kuttner arrives at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Brooks was first to take her seat in the glass-panelled dock alongside her husband Charlie. The remaining defendants – Hanna, Carter, Goodman, Coulson, Edmondson and Kuttner – sat to her right.

Court 12 was packed, with 24 barristers, at least a dozen solicitors and about 20 reporters present, plus another 30 to 40 journalists in an overspill annex.

A panel of up approximately 80 potential jurors were called to Court 12 betwen 12 and 12.30pm and told the case could last up to six months. Judge Mr Justice Saunders acknowledged such a length of time could cause "significant disruption in people's lives" but said jurors would have to have "powerful reasons" to be excused.

Phone-hacking trial: Cheryl Carter arrives at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Those not immediately excused were asked to complete a questionnaire to further assess their suitability to try the case, with a final panel of 12 expected to be selected on Tuesday.

Addressing the large pool of potential jurors, Saunders told them:"The trial which we are about to start will take a considerable length of time. It is estimated that the case may last until Easter. I hope that with the assistance of counsel the case will finish more quickly. But people who sit on it should be prepared for the case to go on that long."

He warned the panel: "It's critical to the jury system that a jury takes the case free from any preconceptions. From now on you do not discuss the case with anyone. It's the sort of case that many people have views on."

Phone-hacking trial: Mark Hanna arrives at the Old Bailey. Photograph: Rex

He also instructed them: "Do not look up anything about the case either, because if you do you may make it difficult, if not impossible, to be impartial."

Those selected must try the case only on the evidence they would hear, he said.

After eliminating those who could not sit on the jury, the judge instructed those remaining they would have to complete a questionnaire.

He reminded those left that told being a jury member was "not voluntary" and reiterated strict instructions to potential jurors not to talk to others about the case or to look up the case on the internet.

"You are not to talk about it, do not look anything up on Google, search engines; tweeting," he said.