172. (1) The Authority shall establish an Advisory Committee on the grant of Patents of Precedence to perform the functions assigned to it under this Part.

(2) The Committee shall consist of:

(a) the Chief Justice, who shall be the chairperson of the Committee;

F31[(aa) the President of the Court of Appeal;]

(b) the President of the High Court;

(c) the Attorney General;

(d) the Chairperson of the Bar Council;

(e) the President of the Law Society; and

(f) a lay member of the Authority nominated by the Minister.

(3) A person appointed under paragraph (f) of subsection (2) —

(a) shall be a member of the Committee for a period not exceeding 3 years from the date of his or her appointment as such a member, and

(b) shall be eligible for re-appointment to the Committee provided, and for so long as, he or she remains a member of the Authority.

(4) A member of the Committee, who is unable to attend a meeting of the Committee, may nominate a deputy to attend in his or her place.

(5) The Committee may act notwithstanding a vacancy in its membership.

(6) On the death or retirement of the Chief Justice, the senior ordinary judge of the Supreme Court who is for the time being available shall be a member of the Committee until the appointment of a Chief Justice.

F31[(6A) On the death or retirement of the President of the Court of Appeal, the senior ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal who is for the time being available shall be a member of the Committee until the appointment of a President of the Court of Appeal.]

(7) On the death or retirement of the President of the High Court, the senior ordinary judge of the High Court who is for the time being available shall be a member of the Committee until the appointment of a President of the High Court.

(8) Where a member of the Committee—

(a) makes an application under section 174(1), or

(b) is the subject of an application under section 175(2),

he or she shall take no part in any consideration by the Committee of that application.

(9) All proceedings of the Committee and all communications by and to the Committee, including consultations by the Committee under section 174(3), shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except for the purposes of this Act.