Witnesses and citation of witnesses
33.—(1) Where a party wishes to call witnesses to attend a hearing to give evidence, that party shall, prior to the end of the case statement period, provide to the First-tier Tribunal a list of the names and addresses of such witnesses.
(2) A party may not call and lead evidence from any witness who is not included on their list of witnesses except with the permission of a legal member or the First-tier Tribunal at a hearing.
(3) Subject to the provisions of the 2004 Act and to paragraph (5) of this rule, the First-tier Tribunal or a legal member may, on the written application of any party made not later than 8 working days before the hearing, or on its or his or her own initiative, direct that citation be sent to any person whose details are included in either party’s list of witnesses under paragraph (1) requiring that person to attend any hearing, including any adjourned hearing, of the First-tier Tribunal at such time and place as may be specified in the citation, for the purpose of giving evidence.
(4) The citation must explain that it is an offence under the Scottish Tribunals (Offences in Relation to Proceedings) Regulations 2016 without reasonable excuse to fail to attend the First-tier Tribunal proceedings as required by the citation or to refuse or fail, whilst attending proceedings as so required, to answer any question and that a person guilty of such an offence may be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.
(5) No person shall be required so to attend unless—
(a)they have been given at least 5 working days’ notice of the hearing or, if less than 5 such days, they have informed the First-tier Tribunal that they accept such notice as they have been given; and
(b)the necessary expenses of their attendance are paid or tendered to them by the party seeking their attendance.
(6) At the hearing of a reference, the parties shall, subject to the provisions of these Rules, be entitled to be present and be heard, to give evidence, to call witnesses, to question witnesses and to address the First-tier Tribunal both on the evidence and generally on the subject matter of the reference, provided that neither party shall be entitled unless permitted to do so by a legal member, or the First-tier Tribunal at a hearing, to call more than two witnesses in addition to the child or young person to give evidence in person.