The Electricity and Gas (Market Integrity and Transparency) (Enforcement etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013

Information and documents: supplemental provisions

14.—(1) If the Authority has power under this Part to require a person to produce a document but it appears to the Authority that the document is in the possession of a third person, that power may be exercised in relation to the third person.

(2) If a document is produced in response to a requirement imposed under this Part, the Authority may—

(a) take copies or extracts from the document; or

(b) require the person producing the document, or any relevant person, to provide an explanation of the document.

(3) A document so produced may be retained for so long as the Authority considers that it is necessary to retain it (rather than copies of it) for the purposes for which the document was requested.

(4) If the Authority has reasonable grounds for believing—

(a) that the document may have to be produced for the purposes of any legal proceedings, and

(b) that it might otherwise be unavailable for those purposes,

it may be retained until the proceedings are concluded.

(5) If a person (“FP”) who is required under this Part to produce a document fails to do so, the Authority may require FP to state, to the best of FP’s knowledge and belief, where the document is.

(6) A lawyer may be required under this Part to furnish the name and address of the lawyer’s client.

(7) If a person claims a lien on a document, its production under this Part does not affect the lien.

(8) In paragraph (2), “relevant person”, in relation to a person who is required to produce a document, means a person who—

(a) has been or is proposed to be a director or controller of that person;

(b) has been or is an auditor of that person;

(c) has been or is an actuary, accountant or lawyer appointed or instructed by that person; or

(d) has been or is an employee of that person.