Azzopardi and Secretary, Department of Social Services (Social services second review)

In *Azzopardi and Secretary, Department of Social Services (Social services second review)*, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered an application by the applicant for a confidentiality order. The applicant sought to have certain information kept confidential during the proceedings.

The primary legal issue before the Tribunal was whether the applicant had advanced sufficient, cogent reasons to justify a departure from the Tribunal's normal practice of open hearings and to warrant the granting of a confidentiality order under section 35(3) of the *Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975*.

The Tribunal reasoned that the applicant had failed to provide any compelling grounds for such a departure. It was noted that any relevant matters could be brought to the Tribunal's attention during hearings without the need for a confidentiality order. As the onus rested on the applicant to establish the necessity for confidentiality and this onus had not been discharged, the Tribunal concluded that the application lacked sufficient grounds. Consequently, the Tribunal declined to make the requested confidentiality order.