Hearing

A hearing is the oral session bringing together the parties and the court. The parties present their claims and defences, witnesses are heard, expert explanations are taken and the evidence is debated.

Sessions are as a rule public, though confidentiality may be ordered where public morals or security so require. Parties are not obliged to attend, but unexcused absence carries consequences such as removal of the case from the docket and inability to object to steps taken in their absence. Participation from another location through audio-visual transmission is also available for parties and witnesses.

Every session is recorded in minutes, which form the official record of the proceedings. Ensuring statements are minuted accurately, and tracking from the interim rulings what must be done before the next session, are the matters requiring the greatest care in practice.