(1)Any person aggrieved by a decision of the OFT, the appropriate Minister, the Secretary of State or the Commission in connection with a reference or possible reference under this Part may apply to the Competition Appeal Tribunal for a review of that decision.
(2)For this purpose “decision”—
(a)does not include a decision to impose a penalty under section 110(1) or (3) as applied by section 176; but
(b)includes a failure to take a decision permitted or required by this Part in connection with a reference or possible reference.
(3)Except in so far as a direction to the contrary is given by the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the effect of the decision is not suspended by reason of the making of the application.
(4)In determining such an application the Competition Appeal Tribunal shall apply the same principles as would be applied by a court on an application for judicial review.
(5)The Competition Appeal Tribunal may—
(a)dismiss the application or quash the whole or part of the decision to which it relates; and
(b)where it quashes the whole or part of that decision, refer the matter back to the original decision maker with a direction to reconsider and make a new decision in accordance with the ruling of the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
(6)An appeal lies on any point of law arising from a decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal under this section to the appropriate court.
(7)An appeal under subsection (6) requires the permission of the Tribunal or the appropriate court.
(8)In this section—
“the appropriate court” means the Court of Appeal or, in the case of Tribunal proceedings in Scotland, the Court of Session; and
“Tribunal rules” has the meaning given by section 15(1).