Article 18 Public access to meetings

(1)

A meeting of the Board must be open to the public.

This is subject to paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2)

The Board must exclude the public from a meeting during an item of business if, during that item, confidential information may be disclosed to the public in breach of the obligation of confidence.

(3)

The Board may exclude the public from a meeting during an item of business if, during that item, any of the following information may be disclosed to the public and the Board considers that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in preventing disclosure of the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure of the information—

(a)

information relating to any individual;

(b)

information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual;

(c)

information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person;

(d)

commercially sensitive information;

(e)

information relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations, in connection with any employment matter arising between the Board and any employee; or

(f)

information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

(4)

In this article, “confidential information” means—

(a)

information provided to the Board by a Government department upon terms that prohibit the disclosure of the information to the public, and

(b)

information that may not be disclosed to the public by virtue of any enactment, rule of law or order of the court,

and, in each case, the reference to the obligation of confidence is to be construed accordingly.

(5)

This article is without prejudice to any power of exclusion to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting.

(6)

Any reference in this article to the Board includes any committee of the Board.