(1) The court may direct that a hearing or any part of it may take place in private or in public.
(2) From the date that this rule comes into effect, a hearing that takes place in chambers shall be treated for the purposes of these rules as being a hearing that took place in public, unless the court otherwise orders.
(3) Where a hearing takes place in public, the court is not required to make any special arrangements to enable the public to enter the hearing.
(4) Unless the court otherwise orders, a hearing shall be deemed to have taken place in private if —
(a) it is concerned with the welfare of a minor or a person under disability;
(b) it is an application by a trustee or a court appointed officer which is concerned with the administration of a trust, asset or an estate; or
(c) it is concerned with an arbitration.
(5) The court may direct that any other hearing, or a part of it, may take place in private if —
(a) publicity would defeat the object of the hearing;
(b) it relates to matters of national security;
(c) it involves confidential information (including information relating to personal financial matters) and publicity would damage that confidentiality;
(d) it is the hearing of an application made without notice;
(e) the court considers this to be necessary in the interests of justice.
(6) An order made in chambers shall have the same effect as an order made in open court, and a court sitting in chambers shall have the same power to enforce, vary or deal with any such order, as if sitting in open court.
(7) The court may order that any hearing be conducted in whole or in part by means of a telephone conference call, video conference or any other form of electronic communication and it may take place wholly or in part inside or outside of a relevant Territory or Member State.
(8) The court may give directions to facilitate the conduct of a hearing by the use of any electronic or digital means of communication or storage or retrieval of information, or any other technology it considers appropriate.