Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendment) Act, 1979

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR No. 3/1979

Number 3 of 1979
TRIBUNALS OF INQUIRY (EVIDENCE) (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1979
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section 1. Interpretation. 2. Membership of tribunals and assessors. 3. Amendment of section 1 of Principal Act. 4. Orders of tribunals. 5. Non-admissibility in criminal proceedings of evidence given to tribunals. 6. Costs. 7. Short title and collective citation.
Number 3 of 1979
TRIBUNALS OF INQUIRY (EVIDENCE) (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1979
AN ACT TO AMEND THE TRIBUNALS OF INQUIRY (EVIDENCE) ACT, 1921 . [27th February, 1979]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
	Interpretation.	1.—In this Act—
	“the Principal Act” means the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921 ;
	“a tribunal” means a tribunal to which the Principal Act is applied under section 1 of that Act.
	Membership of tribunals and assessors.	2.—(1) A tribunal may consist of one or more than one person sitting with or without an assessor or assessors appointed by the instrument appointing the tribunal or any instrument supplemental thereto.
	(2) An assessor appointed under this section shall not be a member of the tribunal in relation to which he is so appointed.
	Amendment of section 1 of Principal Act.	3.—The Principal Act is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsections for subsection (2) of section 1:
	“(2) If a person—
	(a) on being duly summoned as a witness before a tribunal, without just cause or excuse disobeys the summons, or
	(b) being in attendance as a witness refuses to take an oath or to make an affirmation when legally required by the tribunal to do so, or to produce any documents (which word shall be construed in this subsection and in subsection (1) of this section as including things) in his power or control legally required by the tribunal to be produced by him, or to answer any question to which the tribunal may legally require an answer, or
	(c) wilfully gives evidence to a tribunal which is material to the inquiry to which the tribunal relates and which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, or
	(d) by act or omission, obstructs or hinders the tribunal in the performance of its functions, or
	(e) fails, neglects or refuses to comply with the provisions of an order made by the tribunal, or
	(f) does or omits to do any other thing and if such doing or omission would, if the tribunal had been the High Court, have been contempt of that Court,
	the person shall be guilty of an offence.
	(2A) (a) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding £10,000 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
	(b) A justice of the District Court shall have jurisdiction to try summarily an offence under this section if—
	(i) the justice is of opinion that the facts proved or alleged against a defendant charged with such an offence constitute a minor offence fit to be tried summarily,
	(ii) the Director of Public Prosecutions consents, and
	(iii) the...