Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972

23 Admission of public to meetings. N.I.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section and section 27 every meeting of a council shall be open to the public.

(2) A council may by resolution exclude the public from a meeting of the council (whether during the whole or part of the proceedings at the meeting) whenever publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest—

(a) by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting; or

(b) for such special reasons as may be specified in the resolution being reasons arising from the nature of the business to be transacted or of the proceedings at the meeting.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), a council may treat the need to receive or consider recommendations or advice from sources other than councillors, or committees or sub-committees of the council, or joint committees as a special reason for the purposes of subsection (2)( b) without regard to the subject or purport of the recommendations or advice.

(4) Where at a meeting of a council the council resolves itself into committee, the proceedings in committee shall for the purposes of this Act be treated as forming part of the proceedings of the council at the meeting.

Annotations:

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Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 23-27, 31, 48, 123, 126, 127 applied (with modifications) (1.7.2006) by Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1254 (N.I. 9)), arts. 1(3), 3(3), Sch. 1 para. 12 (with arts. 49, 62); S.R. 2006/257, art. 2(a)(c)

C2 Ss. 23-27 applied (with modifications) (prosp.) by Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14), ss. 98(3), 170(3), Sch. 6 para. 23