362
Indemnity
to witness
examined
before com.
missioners.
*
No. 13 of 1886.
COMMISSIONERS POWERS.
issued in any action or suit for enforcing the attendance of witnesses or compelling the production of documents; and any warrant of committal to prison issued for the purpose of enforcing any such powers as aforesaid shall be under the hand of the chairman or presiding member of any such commission as aforesaid, counter-signed by the secretary or clerk as aforesaid, if any, and shall not authorise the imprisonment of any offender for a period exceeding 3 months;
(2) the power, for the purposes of their commission, to enter and view any premises; and
(3) the right to conduct every examination of witnesses either in public or private, as their commission may direct: Provided that if such examination is conducted in public, due notice shall be given of the time and place of holding the same, but with power to the commissioners to adjourn any meeting from time to time and from one place to another.
4.--(1) If, in the opinion of the Governor-in-Council, the special circumstances of any inquiry render it necessary or expedient, and provided the commission so directs, any person examined as a witness in any inquiry as aforesaid who, in the opinion of the commissioners, makes a full and true disclosure touching all the matters in respect of which he is examined shall receive a certificate under the hand of the chairman or presiding member of the commission, countersigned by the secretary or clerk, if any, stating that the witness has upon his examination made a full and true disclosure as aforesaid.
(2) If any civil or criminal proceeding is at any time thereafter instituted against such witness in respect of any matter touching which he has been so examined, the tribunal before which such proceeding is instituted shall, on the production and proof of the certificate, stay the proceeding, and may award to such witness any costs which he may have been put to by the institution of the proceeding: Provided that no evidence taken under the powers conferred by this Ordinance shall be admissible against any person in any civil or criminal proceeding whatever, except in the case of a witness who may be accused of having given false evidence before any such commissioners.
* As amended by No. 62 of 1911.
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