Singapore legislation
Clause 158
Clause 158
Committee to hear and determine applications for family exclusion orders
(1)
A Committee shall hear and determine in accordance with this Part all applications for family exclusion orders referred to the Committee under section 159(2).
(2)
Sittings of a Committee shall be held at such places and times as the chairman of the Committee may determine.
(3)
No party to any proceedings before a Committee may be represented by an advocate and solicitor except that the person making the application on behalf of an applicant under section 160 or 161 may represent the applicant before a Committee although he may be an advocate and solicitor.
(4)
A Committee shall have the power to ––
summon any person whom it may consider able to give evidence to attend at the hearing of an application; and
examine such person as a witness and to require such person to produce such records, documents or articles as the Committee may think necessary for the purposes of the proceedings.
(5)
Every person examined as a witness by or before a Committee shall, notwithstanding any written law or rule of law relating to the confidentiality of medical information or any rule of practice relating to client confidentiality, be legally bound to state the truth and to produce such records, documents or articles as the Committee may require for the purposes of carrying out its functions and duties under this Part.
(6)
In proceedings under this Part, a Committee is to decide questions of fact on the balance of probabilities.
(7)
A Committee shall not be bound by the strict rules of evidence and shall determine the conduct of its proceedings.
(8)
At any meeting of a Committee under this Part —
all 3 members of the Committee shall be personally present to constitute a quorum; and
any question arising at the meeting of the Committee shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the Committee shall have a casting vote.