Section 52 — Access to Information Act: Applications relating to international affairs or defence

An application under section 41 relating to a record or a part of a record that the head of a government institution has refused to disclose by reason of paragraph 13(1)(a) or (b) or section 15 shall be heard and determined by the Chief Justice of the Federal Court or by any other judge of that Court that the Chief Justice may designate to hear those applications. An application referred to in subsection (1) or an appeal brought in respect of such application shall be heard in camera ;

and on the request of the head of the government institution concerned, be heard and determined in the National Capital Region described in the schedule to the National Capital Act . During the hearing of an application referred to in subsection (1) or an appeal brought in respect of such application, the head of the government institution concerned shall, on the request of the head of the institution, be given the opportunity to make representations ex parte .