Part II Promotion of Children’s Welfare by Local Authorities and by Children’s Hearings etc.
Chapter 2 Children’s Hearings
Conduct of proceedings at and in connection with children’s hearing
46 Power to exclude relevant person from children’s hearing.
1
Where a children’s hearing are considering the case of a child in respect of whom a person is a relevant person, they may exclude that person, or that person and any representative of his, or any such representative, from any part or parts of the hearing for so long as is necessary in the interests of the child, where they are satisfied that—
a
they must do so in order to obtain the views of the child in relation to the case before the hearing; or
b
the presence of the person or persons in question is causing, or is likely to cause, significant distress to the child.
2
Where a children’s hearing exercise the power conferred by subsection (1) above, the chairman of the hearing shall, after that exclusion has ended, explain to any person who was so excluded the substance of what has taken place in his absence.