Regulation 53 Attendance of complainant and interested persons at special case hearing
This regulation shall apply in the case of a special case hearing arising from—
in relation to England and Wales, a conduct matter to which paragraph 16, 17, 18 or 19 of Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act (investigations) applied, or a complaint which was certified as subject to special requirements under paragraph 19B(1) of that Schedule (assessment of seriousness of conduct); or
in relation to Northern Ireland, a conduct matter to which section 54, 56 or 57 of the 1998 Act applied.
The appropriate authority shall notify the complainant or any interested person of the date, time and place of the special case hearing.
Subject to any conditions imposed under regulation 53(3), the complainant or any interested person may—
attend the special case hearing as an observer up to but not including the point at which the person or panel conducting the hearing considers the question of disciplinary action; and
be accompanied by one other person, and if the complainant or interested person has a special need, by one further person to accommodate that need.
For the purposes of this regulation, a person has a special need who, in the opinion of the person conducting or chairing the special case hearing, has a disability or learning difficulty, or does not have sufficient knowledge of English, to understand the special case hearing.