27Hearings in special inquiries

27 Hearings in special inquiries

27 Hearings in special inquiries

(1) The Advocate may hold hearings for the purposes of a special inquiry.

(2) The Advocate may also hold public seminars, conduct workshops and establish working groups and task forces for the purposes of a special inquiry.

(3) Before the Advocate begins to hold hearings, the Advocate must give reasonable notice, by advertisement published in a newspaper circulating throughout the State and in such other manner as the Advocate considers appropriate—

(a) of the Advocate’s intention to hold the hearings, and

(b) of the subject-matter of the hearings, and

(c) of the time and place at which the first of the hearings is to begin.

(4) The Advocate may call for written submissions to be made before the hearings begin, and may specify a time and date by which those submissions must be made. The Advocate may extend the time for the making of submissions.

(5) The Advocate (or a member of the staff of the Advocate appointed by the Advocate) is to preside at a hearing.

(6) A hearing is to be held in public.

(7) However, a hearing is to be held in private if—

(a) the Advocate is satisfied that it is desirable to do so because of the confidential nature of any evidence or matter or for any other reason, or

(b) the hearing concerns the evidence of a child or young person and the child or young person requests a private hearing.

(8) The regulations may make provision for or with respect to hearings and, in particular, for or with respect to matters concerning a private hearing before the Advocate.

(9) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Advocate that any person is substantially and directly interested in the subject-matter of a special inquiry, the Advocate may authorise the person to appear and be heard at the hearing or a specified part of the hearing.