2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 46b - Family Law
Chapter 815 - Court Proceedings in Family Relations Matters
Section 46b-11 - (Formerly Sec. 51-335). Closed hearings and records.

Any case which is a family relations matter may be heard in chambers or, if a jury case, in a courtroom from which the public and press have been excluded, if the judge hearing the case determines that the welfare of any children involved or the nature of the case so requires. The records and other papers in any family relations matter may be ordered by the court to be kept confidential and not to be open to inspection except upon order of the court or judge thereof for cause shown.

(1959, P.A. 531, S. 8; P.A. 76-436, S. 93, 681; P.A. 78-280, S. 95, 127.)

History: P.A. 76-436 applied provisions specifically to family relations matters, deleted references to appeals from juvenile court and added exception, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 78-280 referred to cases which are family relations matters rather than to cases on docket of family relations sessions; Sec. 51-182h temporarily renumbered as Sec. 51-335 and ultimately transferred to Sec. 46b-11 in 1979.

See Sec. 46b-49 re private hearings.

See Sec. 46b-122 re exclusion from hearing room of persons whose presence is unnecessary in actions concerning juvenile matters.

Cited. 36 CS 352. Protecting stability of leading Fortune 500 corporation’s shares of stock outweighed public’s and media’s right to access files and hearings in divorce proceedings of high ranking executive of such corporation. 45 CS 208.