SCHEDULE 5 - Meetings of JointSCHEDULE 5 - Meetings of Joint Standing Committee on Integrity

# SCHEDULE 5 - Meetings of Joint SCHEDULE 5 - Meetings of Joint Standing Committee on Integrity [Section 23(6)](#GS23@Gs6@EN) > **1.   **Proceedings of Joint Committee**** > > > > (1) Any 3 members of the Joint Committee, constitute a quorum of the Joint Committee, but the quorum may not be made up of members exclusively of one House of Parliament. > > > > > (2) The chairperson of the Joint Committee, or, in the case of his or her absence or other inability to act as chairperson, the vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee, is to preside at all meetings of the Joint Committee at which he or she is present. > > > > > (3) At a meeting of the Joint Committee at which a quorum is present, the members in attendance may, in the absence of the chairperson of the Joint Committee and vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee, appoint one of their number then present to be the temporary chairperson of the Joint Committee, and the temporary chairperson of the Joint Committee has, during the absence of the chairperson of the Joint Committee and vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee, all the powers of the chairperson of the Joint Committee. > > > > > (4) The Joint Committee is to cause minutes of its proceedings to be kept. > > > > > (5) The Joint Committee may sit and transact business during any adjournment or recess, and may sit at such times and in such places, and conduct its proceedings in such manner, as it thinks fit. > **2.   **Voting at meeting of Joint Committee**** > > > > (1) At meetings of the Joint Committee – > > > > > > > > (a) the chairperson of the Joint Committee or, in his or her absence, the vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee, has a deliberative vote only; and > > > > > > > > > (b) when the votes on a question are equal, the question passes in the negative. > > > > > (2) Where a division is called for on any question, the names of the members voting are to be stated in the minutes and in the report of the Joint Committee. > > > > > (3) A question is decided by the majority of votes of the members voting, where the vote is taken at a meeting of which a majority of members appointed by each House to serve on the Joint Committee is present. > **3.   **Evidence before Joint Committee**** > > > > (1) The Joint Committee may summon witnesses to appear before it to give evidence and to produce documents, and for that purpose has all the power and authority of a Select Committee of the House of Assembly. > > > > > (2) A witness who is summoned to appear, or who appears, before the Joint Committee has the same protection and privileges as a witness in an action tried in the Supreme Court. > > > > > (3) Except where it considers that there is good and sufficient reason to take evidence in private, all evidence is to be taken by the Joint Committee in public. > > > > > (4) In deciding to take evidence in private, the Joint Committee may seek advice from the Board about whether to take the evidence in private. > > > > > (5) Notwithstanding anything in [subclause (3)](#JS5@GC3@Gc3@EN) , the Joint Committee, when requested so to do by a witness, must take in private any evidence that, in the opinion of the Joint Committee, relates to a secret or confidential matter. > > > > > (6) Subject to [subclause (7)](#JS5@GC3@Gc7@EN) , the Joint Committee may, in its discretion, disclose or publish, or authorise the disclosure or publication of evidence taken in private. > > > > > (7) If there is taken in private any evidence of a witness that the Joint Committee considers relates to a secret or confidential matter and the witness requests that that evidence be not published, the Joint Committee must not, without the consent in writing of the witness, disclose or publish, or authorise the disclosure or publication of, that evidence, unless it has already been lawfully published. > > > > > (8) If evidence is taken by the Joint Committee in private, no person (whether a member of the Joint Committee or not) may, without the authority of the Joint Committee given in writing by the chairperson of the Joint Committee, disclose or publish that evidence unless it has already been lawfully published. > > > > > (9) References in this section to evidence are to be construed as including references to documentary evidence, and references in this section to evidence given by a witness is to be construed as including references to any part of the evidence so given. > > > > > (10) Any person who discloses or publishes any evidence contrary to the provisions of this section is guilty of an offence. > > > > > > Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 5 000 penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year. > > > > > (11) [Sections 2A](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1858-017#GS2A@EN) and [2B of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1858-017#GS2B@EN) [Parliamentary Privilege Act 1858](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1858-017) apply to any matter being examined by the Joint Committee under this Act. > **4.   **Continuation of proceedings**** > > > If the Joint Committee, as constituted at any time, has taken evidence in relation to any matter, but the Joint Committee as so constituted has ceased to exist before reporting on that matter, the Joint Committee as next constituted may consider that evidence as if it had been given before it. > **5.   **Witnesses' expenses**** > > > A witness who appears before the Joint Committee to give evidence is entitled to be paid such fees and travelling expenses as the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the Joint Committee sees fit to allow, being fees and travelling expenses calculated in accordance with the scale for the time being prescribed under [section 27 of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1914-032#GS27@EN) [Public Works Committee Act 1914](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1914-032) .