Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

Information, documents, evidence and facilities

31.—(1) For the purposes of an investigation, the Ombudsman may require the listed authority being investigated and any of the persons mentioned in subsection (2) to provide information or produce documents relevant to the investigation.

(2) Those persons are—

(a) any member, officer or member of staff of the listed authority, and

(b) any other person, who in the Ombudsman’s opinion is able to provide this information or produce these documents.

(3) For the purposes of an investigation, the Ombudsman has the same powers as the High Court in respect of—

(a) the attendance and examination of witnesses, including the administration of oaths or affirmations and the examination of witnesses abroad, and

(b) the production of documents.

(4) For the purposes of an investigation, the Ombudsman may require a person who is able to provide information or produce a document relevant to the investigation, to provide any facility the Ombudsman may reasonably require.

(5) Subject to section 32(1) and (2), no person is compelled, for the purposes of an investigation, to give any evidence or produce any document which that person could not be compelled to give or to produce in civil proceedings in the High Court.