# The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009, Article 35: Public and private hearings


(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, all hearings must be held in public.
(2) The Tribunal may give a direction that a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private.
(2A) Without prejudice to paragraph (2), the Tribunal may direct that a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private if—
(a) the Tribunal directs that the proceedings are to be conducted wholly or partly as video proceedings or audio proceedings;
(b) it is not reasonably practicable for such a hearing, or such part, to be accessed in a court or tribunal venue by persons who are not parties entitled to participate in the hearing;
(c) a media representative is not able to access the proceedings remotely while they are taking place; and
(d) such a direction is necessary to secure the proper administration of justice.
(3) Where a hearing, or part of it, is to be held in private, the Tribunal may determine who is permitted to attend the hearing or part of it.
(4) The Tribunal may give a direction excluding from any hearing, or part of it—
(a) any person whose conduct the Tribunal considers is disrupting or is likely to disrupt the hearing;
(b) any person whose presence the Tribunal considers is likely to prevent another person from giving evidence or making submissions freely;
(c) any person who the Tribunal considers should be excluded in order to give effect to the requirement at rule 14(10) (prevention of disclosure or publication of documents and information); or
(d) any person where the purpose of the hearing would be defeated by the attendance of that person.
(5) The Tribunal may give a direction excluding a witness from a hearing until that witness gives evidence.

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/1976/article/35 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/tribunal-procedure-first-tier-tribunal-general-regulatory-chamber-rules-2009/article-35
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.