Inquest hearings to be held in public
11.—(1) A coroner must open an inquest in public.
(2) Where the coroner does not have immediate access to a court room or other appropriate premises, the coroner may open the inquest privately and then announce that the inquest has been opened at the next inquest hearing held in public.
(3) An inquest hearing and any pre-inquest hearing must be held in public unless paragraph (4) or (5) applies.
(4) A coroner may direct that the public be excluded from an inquest hearing, or any part of an inquest hearing if the coroner considers it would be in the interests of national security to do so.
(5) A coroner may direct that the public be excluded from a pre-inquest review hearing if the coroner considers it would be in the interests of justice or national security to do so.