13Hearings to be public

13 Hearings to be public

(1)  [Section 13 Subsection (1) amended by No. 4 of 2021, s. 13, Applied:01 Mar 2021] Subject to subsection (2) and Division 1A , the hearings of a Commission are open to the public.

(2)  A Commission may refuse to admit the public or any person to a hearing if it is satisfied that the public interest in an open hearing is outweighed by any other consideration, including public security, privacy of personal or financial affairs or the right of any person to a fair trial.

(3)  If a Commission intends to take or receive evidence at a hearing which is not open to the public, it must announce that intention during a previous hearing which is open to the public and state, in general terms, the reasons why it intends to hold a closed hearing.