Banking Act 1987

30 Costs, procedure and evidence

(1) A tribunal may give such directions as it thinks fit for the payment of costs or expenses by any party to the appeal.

(2) On an appeal under section 27(2) above the institution concerned shall be entitled to be heard.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) below, the Treasury may, after consultation with the Council on Tribunals, make regulations with respect to appeals under this Part of this Act; and those regulations may in particular make provision—

(a) as to the period within which and the manner in which such appeals are to be brought;

(b) as to the manner in which such appeals are to be conducted, including provision for any hearing to be held in private, as to the persons entitled to appear on behalf of the parties and for enabling appeals to be heard notwithstanding the absence of a member of the tribunal other than the chairman;

(c) as to the procedure to be adopted where appeals are brought both by an institution and a person who is or is to be a director, controller or manager of the institution, including provision for hearing the appeals together and for the mutual disclosure of information;

(d) for requiring an appellant or the Bank to disclose or allow the inspection of documents in his or its custody or under his or its control;

(e) for requiring any person, on tender of the necessary expenses of his attendance, to attend and give evidence or produce documents in his custody or under his control and for authorising the administration of oaths to witnesses;

(f) for enabling an appellant to withdraw an appeal or the Bank to withdraw its opposition to an appeal and for the consequences of any such withdrawal;

(g) for taxing or otherwise settling any costs or expenses which the tribunal directs to be paid and for the enforcement of any such direction;

(h) for enabling any preliminary or incidental functions in relation to an appeal to be discharged by the chairman of a tribunal; and

(j) as to any other matter connected with such appeals.

(4) Regulations under this section with respect to appeals where the institution concerned—

(a) is a company registered in Scotland; or

(b) has its principal or prospective principal place of business in the United Kingdom in Scotland,

shall be made by the Lord Advocate after consultation with the Council on Tribunals which shall consult its Scottish Committee.

(5) A person who, having been required in accordance with regulations under this section to attend and give evidence, fails without reasonable excuse to attend or give evidence, shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the fifth level on the standard scale.

(6) A person who without reasonable excuse alters, suppresses, conceals, destroys or refuses to produce any document which he has been required to produce in accordance with regulations under this section, or which he is liable to be so required to produce, shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both;

(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

(7) Any regulations made under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.