Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012

Whenever the licensing authority meets for the purpose of hearing any appeal, or the authority or any licensing committee meets for the purposes of exercising or performing any power or function that it is required by this Act to exercise or perform at a public hearing, the meeting must, except in a case to which section 202(1) applies and subject to the provisions of subsections (3) and (4), be held in public.

Any other meeting of the authority or of any licensing committee may, in the discretion of the authority or committee, be held in public or in private.

Whenever the authority or committee holds a public hearing it may in its discretion hold any part of the sitting in private if, having regard to the interests of persons appearing and being heard and to the public interest, it thinks it proper to do so.

The authority or committee may in any case deliberate in private as to its decision on any matter or as to any question arising in the course of any proceedings.

The authority or committee may make an order prohibiting the publication of any report or description of any part of the proceedings in any matter before it; but no such order may be made prohibiting the publication of the names and descriptions of the parties to the matter, or of particulars of any premises affected.

In considering whether to make an order prohibiting publication, the authority or committee must consider both the public interest in being able to learn of the proceedings of the authority and licensing committees and the privacy of persons whose affairs are before the authority or committee.

In any proceedings before the authority, any counsel or solicitor engaged by the authority pursuant to this Act may appear and be heard as counsel assisting the authority.

Any decision, order, direction, certificate, or other document issued by the authority or committee may be signed on its behalf by the chairperson or the secretary.

Subject to the provisions of this Act and of any regulations made under this Act, the authority or committee may regulate its procedure in such manner as it thinks fit.