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The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960

A meeting of any body to which the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 applies must be open to the public. This provision has been extended to meetings of committees and joint committees.

Where a meeting is required to be open to the public, at least three clear days' public notice must be given or, if the meeting is convened at shorter notice, then notice must be given at the time it is convened. Any newspaper is entitled on request to a copy of the agenda for the meeting together with, if the council thinks fit, any reports or other documents supplied to members along with the agenda.

Where any copies of the agenda and further documents are thus supplied to a newspaper or to a member of the public attending the meeting, then any publication of defamatory material as a consequence will be privileged unless the publication is proved to be made with malice.

However, the council may, if it thinks fit, decide not to supply newspapers with copies of documents relating to any item on the agenda if the public are likely to be excluded from a meeting whilst the item is being discussed.

In certain circumstances the public and press may be excluded during part or the whole of the proceedings. A body may exclude the public by resolution whenever publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted or for other special reasons stated in the resolution and arising from the nature of that business or of the proceedings. 'Special reasons' entitling the council to exclude the public would include the need to receive recommendations or advice from outside sources such as officers and this is so without regard to the subject or purport of the recommendations or advice.

The common law power of the chairman of a statutory body to exclude a member or members of the public in order to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting is expressly preserved in the legislation.

There are in addition other statutory provisions14 which allow the inspection and copying of the minutes of proceedings, the accounts and certain documents deposited15 with a parish or community council16.

Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 s 1 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 s 3, Sch 2 para 4(2), Sch 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT). As to the bodies to which the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 applies see the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 Schedule as amended.

Local Government Act 1972 s 100(2) as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 s 3, Sch 2 para 6(1), Sch 3
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