New South Wales Consolidated Acts

COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ACT 1998 - SECT 20

20 Hearings in special inquiries

(1) The Commission may hold hearings for the purposes of a special inquiry.

(2) The Commission may also hold public seminars, conduct workshops and establish working groups and task forces for the purposes of a special inquiry.

(3) Before the Commission begins to hold hearings, it must give reasonable notice, by advertisement published in a newspaper circulating throughout the State and in such other manner as the Commission considers appropriate:

(a) of its intention to hold the hearings, and

(b) of the subject of the hearings, and

(c) of the time and place at which the first of the hearings is to begin.

(4) The Commission may call for written submissions to be made before the hearings begin, and may specify a time and date by which those submissions must be made. The Commission may extend the time for the making of submissions.

(5) The Commissioner (or a member of the staff of the Commission appointed by the Commissioner) is to preside at a hearing.

(6) A hearing is to be held in public.

(7) However, a hearing is to be held in private if:

(a) the Commission is satisfied that it is desirable to do so because of the confidential nature of any evidence or matter or for any other reason, or

(b) the hearing concerns the evidence of a child and the child requests a private hearing.

(8) The regulations may make provision for or with respect to hearings and, in particular, for or with respect to matters concerning a private hearing before the Commission.

(9) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Commission that any person is substantially and directly interested in the subject-matter of a special inquiry, the Commission may authorise the person to appear and be heard at the hearing or a specified part of the hearing.