The Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986

Production of documents and evidence to inspectors N.I.

427 .F1 —(1) When inspectors are appointed under Article 424 or 425, it is the duty of all officers and agents of the company, and of all officers and agents of any other body corporate whose affairs are investigated under Article 426(1)—

(a) to produce to the inspectors all[F2 documents] of or relating to the company or, as the case may be, the other body corporate which are in their custody or power,

(b) to attend before the inspectors when required to do so, and

(c) otherwise to give the inspectors all assistance in connection with the investigation which they are reasonably able to give.

[F2 (2) If the inspectors consider that an officer or agent of the company or other body corporate, or any other person, is or may be in possession of information relating to a matter which they believe to be relevant to the investigation, they may require him—

(a) to produce to them any documents in his custody or power relating to that matter,

(b) to attend before them, and

(c) otherwise to give them all assistance in connection with the investigation which he is reasonably able to give;

and it is that person's duty to comply with the requirement.]

[F2 (3) An inspector may for the purposes of the investigation examine any person on oath, and may administer an oath accordingly.]

(4) In this Article, a reference to officers or to agents includes past as well as present, officers or agents (as the case may be); and “agents”, in relation to a company or other body corporate, includes its bankers and solicitors and persons employed by it as auditors, whether those persons are or are not officers of the company or other body corporate.

(5) An answer given by a person to a question put to him in exercise of powers conferred by this Article (whether as it has effect in relation to an investigation under any of Articles 424 to 426, or as applied by any other Article in this Part) may be used in evidence against him.

[F3 (5A) However, in criminal proceedings in which that person is charged with an offence to which this paragraph applies—

(a) no evidence relating to the answer may be adduced, and

(b) no question relating to it may be asked,

by or on behalf of the prosecution, unless evidence relating to it is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, in the proceedings by or on behalf of that person.

(5B) Paragraph (5A) applies to any offence other than an offence under Article 7 or 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (false statements made on an oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath).]

[F2 (6) In this Article “documents” includes information recorded in any form; and, in relation to information recorded otherwise than in legible form, the power to require its production includes power to require the production of a copy of the information in legible form[F4 , or in a form from which it can readily be produced in visible and legible form].]

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F1 mod. by SR 2004/307

F2 1990 NI 10

F3 1999 c. 23

F4 2001 c. 16