Regulation 20

On the direction of the appeal authority, the Secretary or the Registrar (as the case may be) must fix a date and time for the hearing of the appeal, and the manner in which the hearing is to be conducted (as directed by the appeal authority), and must give 14 days’ notice of those matters to the parties to the appeal.

The parties must attend, whether or not by the authorised representative of the parties, at the date and time and in the manner so fixed.

If it is proved to the satisfaction of the appeal authority that, owing to absence, sickness or other reasonable cause, any person is prevented from so attending, the appeal authority may postpone the hearing of the appeal for any reasonable time that the appeal authority thinks necessary.

Where the appeal authority is an Appeal Panel, the Presiding Member presides at each hearing of the appeal being determined by the Appeal Panel.

The onus of proving that any ground of appeal is justified is on the appellant.

Nothing in this regulation requires the Minister as the appeal authority, if the Minister considers appropriate, from deciding an appeal based on written or documentary evidence provided or produced to the Minister without holding any hearing of the appeal.