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3.8.1.3 Hours of a Hearing

Date Published

The nominal hours for conducting a hearing are 9.00am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.00pm.  Thus, a hearing will normally be set to commence at 9.00am or, for a matter set to be heard in the afternoon, 1.30pm.  The commencement time will be varied upon request where there is justification and agreement by the parties.

However, the actual times of the hearing are subject to discretion by the hearing officer.  Thus, any adjournment for lunch etc should occur at a convenient time in the proceedings, rather than at any predetermined time.  Where a hearing can be reasonably concluded without adjournment, it should be so conducted.  In particular, all reasonable effort should be made to ensure that it is not necessary to adjourn the hearing to the following day, if the matter can be reasonably concluded by extending the hearing past 4.00pm.

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