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76.29 |
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| | (1)
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This rule applies where the
Secretary of State has –
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| | (b)
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applied under rule 76.28 for
permission to withhold closed material.
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| | (2)
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The court must fix a hearing for
the Secretary of State and the special advocate to make oral representations,
unless –
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| | (a)
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the special advocate gives
notice to the court that he does not challenge the objection or
application;
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| | (b)
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the court has previously
considered –
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| | (i)
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an objection under rule
76.25(5)(b) to the same or
substantially the same communication,
or
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|
| | (ii)
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an application under
rule 76.28(1) for permission to withhold the same or substantially the same
material, and
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is satisfied that it would be just
to uphold that objection or to give permission without a hearing; or
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| | (c)
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the Secretary of State and
the special advocate consent to the court deciding the issue without a
hearing.
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| | (3)
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If the special advocate does not
challenge the objection or the application, he must give notice of that fact to
the court and the Secretary of State within 14 days, or such other period as
the court may direct, after the Secretary of State serves on him a notice under
rule 76.25(5)(b) or material under rule 76.28(2).
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| | (4)
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Where the court fixes a hearing
under this rule, the Secretary of State and the special advocate must before
the hearing file with the court a schedule identifying the issues which cannot
be agreed between them, which must –
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| | (a)
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list the items or issues in
dispute;
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| | (b)
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give brief reasons for their
contentions on each; and
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| | (c)
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set out any proposals for the
court to resolve the issues in contention.
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| | (5)
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A hearing under this rule shall
take place in the absence of the relevant party and his legal
representative.
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| | (6)
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Where the court gives permission to
the Secretary of State to withhold closed material, the court must
–
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| | (a)
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consider whether to direct
the Secretary of State to serve a summary of that material on the relevant
party or his legal representative; but
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| | (b)
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ensure that no such summary
contains information or other material the disclosure of which would be
contrary to the public interest.
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| | (7)
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Where the court has not given
permission to the Secretary of State to withhold closed material from, or has
directed the Secretary of State to serve a summary of that material on, a
relevant party or his legal representative –
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| | (a)
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the Secretary of State shall
not be required to serve that material or summary; but
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| | (b)
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if he does not do so, at a
hearing on notice the court may –
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| | (i)
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if it considers that
the material or anything that is required to be summarised might be of
assistance to the relevant party in relation to a matter under consideration by
the court, direct that the matter be withdrawn from its consideration,
and
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| | (ii)
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in any other case,
direct that the Secretary of State shall not rely in the proceedings on that
material or (as the case may be) on what is required to be
summarised.
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| | (8)
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The court must give permission to
the Secretary of State to withhold closed material where it considers that the
disclosure of that material would be contrary to the public
interest.
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