Public and private hearingsU.K.
27.—(1) Subject to the following paragraphs and to section 108 of the 2002 Act, all hearings must be held in public.
(2) The Tribunal may give a direction that a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private.
[F1(2A) Without prejudice to paragraph (2), the Tribunal may direct that a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private if—
(a)the Tribunal directs that the proceedings are to be conducted wholly or partly as video proceedings or audio proceedings;
(b)it is not reasonably practicable for such a hearing, or such part, to be accessed in a court or tribunal venue by persons who are not parties entitled to participate in the hearing;
(c)a media representative is not able to access the proceedings remotely while they are taking place; and
(d)such a direction is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice.]
(3) Where a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private, the Tribunal may determine who is permitted to attend the hearing or part of it.
(4) The Tribunal may give a direction excluding from any hearing, or part of it—
(a)any person whose conduct the Tribunal considers is disrupting or is likely to disrupt the hearing;
(b)any person whose presence the Tribunal considers is likely to prevent another person from giving evidence or making submissions freely;
(c)any person who the Tribunal considers should be excluded in order to give effect to a direction under rule 13(2) (withholding a document or information likely to cause serious harm); or
(d)any person where the purpose of the hearing would be defeated by the attendance of that person.
(5) The Tribunal may give a direction excluding a witness from a hearing until that witness gives evidence.
Textual Amendments
F1Rule 27(2A) inserted (temp.) (10.4.2020) by virtue of The Tribunal Procedure (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020 (S.I. 2020/416), rules 1(2), 10(3) (with rule 1(2))