Agriculture Act 1967

21 Inquiries by Commission.

(1) The Commission may hold such inquiries as they consider necessary or desirable for the discharge of any of their functions.

(2) For the purpose of any inquiry under this section the Commission may by summons require any person to attend to give evidence on any of the matters specified in the summons, or to produce all documents in his possession or control which relate to any such matters.

(3) The summons shall specify the hour and day, being a day not earlier than twenty-one days after the service of the summons, and the place, at which that person is to attend, and shall refer to the right of appeal conferred by subsection (4) below.

(4) Within fourteen days of service of a summons under this section, the person served may appeal to the High Court on the ground that any of the evidence, or any document, which he may be required to give or produce in pursuance of the summons is not reasonably required by the Commission for the execution of their functions under this Act, and—

(a) the operation of the summons shall be suspended until the final determination of the appeal, and

(b) the court may make such order either confirming or quashing or varying the summons as the court thinks fit and, except where the order is quashed, providing if need be for the time and place of attendance under the summons.

(5) The jurisdiction conferred by this section on the High Court may be exercised by a Master, but subject to rules of court and to the rights of appeal from the decisions of a Master thereby conferred, and this subsection shall have effect notwithstanding section 63(1) of the [1925 c. 49.] Supreme Court of Judicature (Consolidation) Act 1925 (which requires an appeal from any person to the High Court to be heard and determined by a divisional court).

(6) No person shall be compelled for the purposes of an inquiry under this section to give any evidence or produce any document which he could not be compelled to give or produce in proceedings before the High Court.

(7) No person shall be required, in obedience to a summons under this section, to go more than ten miles from his place of residence unless the necessary expenses of his attendance are paid or tendered to him.

(8) For the purpose of any inquiry under this section the Commission may take evidence on oath and for that purpose administer oaths, or may, instead of administering an oath, require the person examined to make and subscribe a declaration of the truth of the matter respecting which he is examined.

(9) If any person who is to give evidence at any inquiry under this section so requests at the hearing, or by a notice in writing served on the Commission before the day of the hearing, the Commission shall exclude the public from the hearing while that person gives his evidence.

(10) The procedure at any such inquiry shall, subject to the foregoing provisions of this section and any direction under section 20 above, be determined by the Commission, but so that any person appearing thereat shall be entitled to representation by counsel, solicitor or any other person.

(11) A person who—

(a) refuses or wilfully neglects to attend in obedience to a summons under this section, or to give evidence as required by such a summons, or

(b) wilfully alters, suppresses, conceals, destroys or refuses to produce any book or other document which he may be required to produce for the purposes of this section,

shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or to both.

(12) In the application of this section to Scotland—

(a) for any reference to the High Court there shall be substituted a reference to the sheriff,

(b) subsection (5) shall not apply, and

(c) for any reference to a summons there shall be substituted a reference to a notice in writing.