DRAFT
Children's Hearings (Scotland) Bill
PART 1
ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER 1
THE CHILDREN'S PANEL
1 The Children's Panel
(1) The Children's Panel is established.
(2) Schedule 1 makes further provision about the Children's Panel.
2 Children's hearings
(1) The President must ensure that a children's hearing is conducted for the purpose of performing any function that, by virtue of this or any other enactment, must be performed by a children's hearing.
(2) The President may give directions to area support teams in relation to-
(a) the selection of members of the Children's Panel to conduct a children's hearing, and
(b) the selection of one of those members to chair the children's hearing.
(3) Each member of an area support team to whom a function is delegated under section 32(2)(c) (identifying those members of the Children's Panel who will constitute a children's hearing) must comply with a direction given to that team under subsection (2).
(4) The President may, despite any direction given under subsection (2), do either or both of the following-
(a) select members of the Children's Panel to conduct a children's hearing,
(b) select one of the members constituting a children's hearing to chair the hearing.
(5) The President must, in giving a direction under subsection (2) or making a selection under subsection (4), ensure that-
(a) three members are selected for each children's hearing,
(b) both male and female members are selected for each children's hearing, and
(c) a children's hearing arranged in relation to a child includes at least one member who lives or works in the local authority area for the child.