Queensland Consolidated Acts Queensland Consolidated Acts(1) This section applies if an affected child is to give evidence in a relevant proceeding under this division.
(2) If the child is to give evidence about an offence of a sexual nature, the court must exclude from the room in which it is sitting all persons other than essential persons while the child is giving the evidence.
(3) If the child is to give evidence other than in relation to an offence of a sexual nature, the court must exclude from the room in which it is sitting all persons other than essential persons while the child is giving the evidence unless the court is satisfied that the interests of justice require the evidence to be heard in open court.
(4) In this section--
essential person, for a proceeding, means any of the following persons--
(a) a party to the proceeding and the party's counsel;
(b) a Crown law officer or a person authorised by a Crown law officer;
(c) the prosecutor;
(d) a person whose presence is, in the court's opinion, necessary or desirable for the proper conduct of the proceeding;
(e) a support person for the child under section 21AV;
(f) a person who applies to the court to be present and whose presence, in the court's opinion--
(i) would serve a proper interest of the person; and
(ii) would not be prejudicial to the child's interests.