The Local Government (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of District Council Meetings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

Remote Attendance

3.—(1) A reference in any enactment to a council meeting is not limited to a meeting of persons all of whom, or any of whom, are present in the same place and any reference to a “place” where a meeting is held, or to be held, includes reference to more than one place including electronic, digital or virtual locations such as internet locations, web addresses or conference call telephone numbers.

(2) For the purposes of any such enactment, a member of a council (“a member in remote attendance”) attends the meeting at any time if all of the conditions in paragraph (3) are satisfied.

(3) Those conditions are that the member in remote attendance is able at that time—

(a) to hear, and where practicable see, and be so heard, and where practicable be seen by, the other members in attendance;

(b) to hear, and where practicable see, and be so heard and, where practicable, be seen by, any members of the public in attendance in order to exercise a right to speak at the meeting; and

(c) to be so heard and, where practicable, be seen by any other members of the public in attendance.

(4) In this regulation, any reference to a member, or a member of the public, attending a meeting or being in attendance includes that person attending by remote access.

(5) The provision made in this regulation applies notwithstanding any prohibition or other restriction contained in the standing orders or any other rules of the council governing the meeting and any such prohibition or restriction has no effect.

(6) A council may make other standing orders governing remote attendance at meetings of that council, which may include provision for—

(a) voting;

(b) member and public access to documents; and

(c) remote access of the public to a council meeting.