Criminal Justice Act 1951

S.20 Clearing of court and prohibition of reports of proceedings

​

s.20 (4) allows , in any criminal proceedings, for an accused under 21 to have a parent,or other relative or friend shall be entitled to remain in court during the whole of the hearing. 

​

Allows, for the complainant who is under 21 or a female , where the offence is of an indecent or obscene nature, for a parent, or other relative or friend or a support worker chosen by the complainant to be entitled to remain in court during the whole of the hearing. 

​

​

​

Criminal Law (Rape) Act 1981

s.6  6. Exclusion of the public

​

While the public may be excluded this section outlines who  remain in court: 

• a parent, relative, friend or support worker chosen by the complainant may also be allowed to remain in court.

• If the accused is under 18 a parent, relative, friend may remain in court

​

Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012 

s.8 Exclusion of the public from hearing.
 

Section 8 provides that, in  any proceedings for an offence under section 2 (Offence of female genital mutilation), 3 (Offence of removal from State for purpose of female genital mutilation). or 4 (Offence of female genital mutilation outside the State) of the Act, the court shall exclude the public but allow the following to remain: 

-              officers of the Court

-              persons directly concerned in the proceedings

-              bona fide representatives of the Press and such other persons as the Court may, in its discretion, permit to remain

​ 

Who may also remain in court: 

• a parent, relative, friend or support worker chosen by the complainant may also be allowed to remain in court.

• If the accused is under 18 a parent, relative or friend may remain in court

​

Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012

 

s.8 Exclusion of the public from hearing.

 

Section 8 provides that, in  any proceedings for an offence under section 2 (Offence of female genital mutilation), 3 (Offence of removal from State for purpose of female genital mutilation). or 4 (Offence of female genital mutilation outside the State) of the Act, the court shall exclude the public:

-              except officers of the Court

-              persons directly concerned in the proceedings

-               bona fide representatives of the Press and such other persons as the Court may, in its discretion, permit to remain

Who may also remain in court: 

 

 

 

Who may also remain in court: 

• a parent, relative, friend or support worker chosen by the complainant may also be allowed to remain in court.

• If the accused is under 18 a parent, relative or friend may remain in court

• ​

​

s.20 Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 ( also referred to in s.19(2) of the Act)

 

In any proceedings, the court may, where it is satisfied that the nature of the case is such that there is a need to protect ac victim of the offence from secondary and repeat victimisation, intimidation or retaliation, and it would not be contrary to the interests of justice in the case,  on the application of the prosecution, exclude from the court during such proceedings, the public or any portion of the public, or any particular person or persons, except officers of the court and bona fide representatives of the Press.

 

Who may remain in court

- a parent, relative or friend of the victim,

- a support worker of the victim's choice,

- where the accused person is under the age of 18 years, a parent, relative or friend of the accused person, or

- an appropriate person under section 18  of the Act to remain in court

 

The section is without prejudice in respect of any other legislative power to exclude the public or any person 

​

​

Domestic Violence Act 2018 

s. 26 Right to be accompanied in court in certain circumstances

​

An applicant (under the Act ) may, in addition to his or her legal representative, be accompanied in court by an individual (including a support worker) of his or her choice. The  court may refuse to allow an applicant to be accompanied in court by a particular individual at any stage in the proceedings which relate to the applicant if the court considers that it would not be in the interests of justice for the individual concerned to accompany, or continue to accompany, the applicant and where the court so refuses it shall give reasons for such refusal.

​

​

​