Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019

19 Information, documents, evidence and facilities

(1) This section applies in relation to investigations conducted under this Part.

(2) For the purposes of an investigation the Ombudsman may require a person the Ombudsman thinks is able to supply information or produce a document relevant to the investigation to do so.

(3) For the purposes of an investigation the Ombudsman has the same powers as the High Court in respect of—

(a) the attendance and examination of witnesses (including the administration of oaths and affirmations and the examination of witnesses abroad), and

(b) the production of documents.

(4) For the purposes of an investigation the Ombudsman may require a person the Ombudsman thinks is able to supply information or produce a document relevant to the investigation to provide any facility the Ombudsman may reasonably require.

(5) Subject to subsection (7), no person is to be compelled for the purposes of an investigation to give any evidence or produce any document which the person could not be compelled to give or produce in civil proceedings before the High Court.

(6) No obligation to maintain secrecy or other restriction on the disclosure of information obtained by or supplied to persons in Her Majesty’s service, whether imposed by any enactment or rule of law, is to apply to the disclosure of information for the purposes of an investigation.

(7) The Crown is not entitled in relation to an investigation to any privilege in respect of the production of documents or the giving of evidence that would otherwise be allowed by law in legal proceedings.