26. (1) Subject to subsection (2), an applicant may, in addition to being accompanied by his or her legal representative (if any), be accompanied in court by an individual (including a support worker) of his or her choice.

(2) The court may refuse to allow an applicant to be accompanied in court by a particular individual at any stage in the proceedings which relate to the applicant if the court considers that it would not be in the interests of justice for the individual concerned to accompany, or continue to accompany, the applicant and where the court so refuses it shall give reasons for such refusal.

(3) In this section, “support worker” means a volunteer of, or an individual employed under a contract of service or under a contract for services by, an organisation which provides support to victims of domestic violence.