COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020
20Proceedings of courts, Tribunals, &c., may be authorised to not be required to be held in public
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20 Proceedings of courts, Tribunals, &c., may be authorised to not be required to be held in public
(1) The Attorney-General may, by notice, declare that, despiteany provision of a relevant legislative instrument, any proceedings conducted, by a court, a Tribunal, or another entity, that is specified in the notice, may be held in the approved manner in relation to such proceedings.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) , the approved manner specified in a notice in relation to proceedings by a court, Tribunal or entity means the manner determined from time to time by –
(a) if the court is a court of petty sessions or the Magistrates Court – the Chief Magistrate; or
(b) if the court is a court other than a court of petty sessions or the Magistrates Court – the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; or
(c) in the case of a Tribunal – the President, Chair, or other head, of the Tribunal; or
(d) in the case of an entity – the entity or a person nominated by the entity.
(3) The Attorney-General may only issue a notice under subsection (1) in relation to a court, Tribunal or entity if –
(a) where the notice relates to a court of petty sessions or the Magistrates Court – the Chief Magistrate has requested the Attorney-General to issue under subsection (1) a notice in relation to the court, or the Magistrates Court, respectively; or
(b) where the notice relates to a court other than a court of petty sessions or the Magistrates Court – the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has requested the Attorney-General to issue under subsection (1) a notice in relation to the court; or
(c) in the case of a Tribunal – the President, Chair, or other head, of the Tribunal has requested the Attorney-General to issue under subsection (1) a notice in relation to the Tribunal; or
(d) in the case of an entity – the entity, or a person nominated by the entity, has requested the Attorney-General to issue under subsection (1) a notice in relation to the entity.