Article 6 Hearing of application for letters of request
(1)
An application under section 3(1) of the Act—
(a)
shall be heard in a petty-sessional court-house;
(b)
may be heard ex parte.
(2)
When hearing an application under section 3(1) of the Act the court may, if it thinks it necessary in the interests of justice, direct that the public be excluded from the court.
(3)
The powers conferred on a magistrates' court by the preceding paragraph shall be in addition and without prejudice to any other powers of the court to hear proceedings in camera.