Requirement to give or repeat advice in public
24.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), any advice tendered by a legal, clinical or specialist adviser at a meeting or hearing must be tendered in the presence of every party, or person representing a party, in attendance at the meeting or hearing.
(2) The requirement in paragraph (1) does not apply to meetings of the Investigating Committee.
(3) Where a statutory committee, or another committee of the Council which is not a statutory committee, has begun to deliberate on its decision and needs to obtain advice in the course of its deliberations, a legal adviser may tender advice to the committee notwithstanding the absence of the parties or any person representing a party.
(4) Where advice is tendered in the absence of the parties or their representatives in accordance with paragraph (3)—
(a)the legal adviser must repeat the advice tendered to the committee before the parties, or any person representing a party, in attendance at the hearing; and
(b)the parties or their representatives in attendance at the hearing must be provided with a reasonable opportunity to comment on the advice given by the legal adviser, before the committee makes its decision on the issue under consideration.