The North of Scotland Milk Marketing Board (Residual Functions) Regulations 1994

Arbitration in cases where producers or buyers are aggrieved

31.—(1) In the event of any producer being aggrieved by any act or omission of the Board affecting the discharge of their functions under the North of Scotland Milk Marketing Board (Residual Functions) Regulations 1994 (and whether occurring before or on or after Vesting Day), he may make application to the Board demanding that the matter be referred to an arbiter to be agreed upon by the producer and the Board and, failing agreement, to be appointed, on application being made to him by either party, by the sheriff principal of the sheriffdom in which the producer has his place, or principal place, of business, and the Board shall, within fourteen days of the receipt of any such application, appoint the arbiter agreed upon or, on failure to agree upon an arbiter within fourteen days, each party or both parties may apply to the sheriff principal for the appointment to be made. If a person agreed upon or appointed dies or is incapable of acting, or for seven days after written notice from either party to the dispute requiring him to act, fails to act, a new arbiter may be agreed upon or appointed as aforesaid, as if no arbiter had been appointed.

(2) Time for award.The arbiter shall make and sign his award within twenty-eight days of his appointment.

Evidence

(3) (a) The parties to the arbitration, and all persons claiming through them respectively shall, subject to any legal objection, submit to be examined by the arbiter on oath or affirmation in relation to the matters in dispute and shall, subject as aforesaid, produce before the arbiter all samples, books, deeds, papers, accounts, writings and documents within their possession or power respectively which may be required or called for and do all other things which during the proceedings the arbiter may require.

(b) The arbiter shall have power to administer oaths and to take the affirmation of parties and witnesses appearing, and witnesses shall, if the arbiter thinks fit, be examined on oath or affirmation.

The award

(4) (a) If the arbiter finds that the Board shall be required to rectify any matter, the subject of the reference, the award shall state the manner in which, and the date as and from which the matter shall be rectified by the Board.

(b) The award of the arbiter shall be final and binding upon the parties.

(c) The arbiter may correct in an award any clerical mistake or error arising from an accidental slip or omission.

Expenses

(5) (a) The expenses of and incidental to the arbitration and award shall be in the discretion of the arbiter, who may direct to and by whom and in what manner and within what time those expenses or any part thereof are to be paid, and the expenses shall be subject to taxation by the auditor of the Sheriff Court on the application of either party, but that taxation shall be subject to review by the Sheriff.

(b) The arbiter shall, in awarding expenses, take into account the reasonableness or unreasonableness of the claim of the producer concerned either in respect of amount or otherwise and any unreasonable demand for particulars or refusal to supply particulars by either party, and generally all the circumstances of the case, and may disallow the expenses of any witness whom he considers to have been called unnecessarily, and any other expense which he considers to have been incurred unnecessarily.