82Electronic hearings and proceedings without hearings

82 Electronic hearings and proceedings without hearings

[Section 82 Inserted by No. 17 of 2021, s. 18, Applied:05 Nov 2021]

(1)  If the Tribunal considers it appropriate, it may allow –

(a) the parties and their representatives; and

(b) any witnesses, or one or more of them –

to participate in any proceedings by means of telephone, video link or any other system or method of communication.

(2)  If the Tribunal considers it appropriate, it may conduct all or part of any proceedings entirely on the basis of documents without the parties or their representatives or any witnesses attending or participating in a hearing or any other part of the proceedings.

(3)  Subsection (2) does not apply to proceedings in relation to which a hearing is required by a relevant Act to be held.

(4)  If the Tribunal acts under this section, the Tribunal is to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the public has access to, or is precluded from access to, matters disclosed in the proceedings to the same extent as if the proceedings had been heard before the Tribunal with the attendance in person of all persons involved in the proceedings.