Leasehold Valuation Tribunals (Procedure) (England) Regulations 2003

Hearings

14.—(1) Subject to regulations 8(3), 9(2) and 10(2), a hearing shall be on the date and at the time and place appointed by the tribunal.

(2) The tribunal shall give notice to the parties of the appointed date, time and place of the hearing.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), notice under paragraph (2) shall be given not less than 21 days (or such shorter period as the parties may agree) before the appointed date.

(4) In exceptional circumstances the tribunal may, without the agreement of the parties, give less than 21 days notice of the appointed date, time and place of the hearing; but any such notice must be given as soon as possible before the appointed date and the notice must specify what the exceptional circumstances are.

(5) The tribunal may arrange that an application shall be heard together with one or more other applications.

(6) A hearing shall be in public unless, in the particular circumstances of the case, the tribunal decide that a hearing or part of a hearing shall be held in private.

(7) At the hearing—

(a) the tribunal shall determine the procedure (subject to these Regulations) and the order in which the persons appearing before it are to be heard;

(b) a person appearing before the tribunal may do so either in person or by a representative authorised by him, whether or not that representative is a barrister or a solicitor; and

(c) a person appearing before the tribunal may give evidence on his own behalf, call witnesses, and cross-examine any witnesses called by any other person appearing.

(8) If a party does not appear at a hearing, the tribunal may proceed with the hearing if it is satisfied that notice has been given to that party in accordance with these Regulations.