Commonwealth Numbered Acts

Family Law Amendment Act 1983 No. 72 of 1983 - SECT 52

52. Section 97 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting sub-sections (1)
and (2) and substituting the following sub-sections:

''(1) Subject to sub-section (2) and to the regulations, all proceedings in
the Family Court, or in a court of a Territory (other than the Northern
Territory) when exercising jurisdiction under this Act, shall be heard in open
court.

''(2) In any proceedings in the Family Court, or in another court when
exercising jurisdiction under this Act, the court may, of its own motion or on
the application of a party to the proceedings, make one or more of the
following orders:

   (a)  an order that a specified person is not, or specified persons are not,
        to be present in court during the proceedings or during a specified
        part of the proceedings;

   (b)  an order that persons included in a specified class of persons are not
        to be present in court during the proceedings or during a specified
        part of the proceedings;

   (c)  an order that only the parties to the proceedings, their legal
        representatives and such other persons (if any) as are specified by
        the court may be present in court during the proceedings or during a
        specified part of the proceedings.''.