Singapore legislation
Section 18
Section 18
Proceedings conducted in private unless tribunal orders otherwise
(1)
Subject to subsections (2), (3), (4) and (5), all proceedings before a tribunal are to be conducted in private.
(2)
A tribunal may, on its own initiative or on the application of any party to the proceedings, and in the manner prescribed by Rules of Court made under section 33, do either or both of the following:
allow one or more individuals to assist in resolving the claim amicably through mediation or conciliation;
allow one or more individuals of skill and experience in the matter to which the proceedings relate to sit with the tribunal and act as assessors.
(3)
A tribunal may permit an officer appointed under section 3(2) of the Employment Act 1968 to participate in any proceedings before a tribunal by doing one or more of the following:
giving evidence in the proceedings;
producing any document, record or thing that is relevant to the proceedings;
making submissions in the proceedings.
(4)
A tribunal may permit one or more of the following to observe the hearing of a claim:
any prescribed individual;
any individual belonging to a prescribed class of individuals;
any other individual that the tribunal deems fit.
(5)
Regulations made under section 34 may prescribe different individuals or classes of individuals for different categories of claims for the purposes of subsection (4).
(6)
To avoid doubt, subsection (1) does not prevent a tribunal from hearing 2 or more claims together, if it appears to the tribunal that doing so is convenient and does not prejudice any party to any of those claims.