Powers and duties of RegistrarU.K.
Exercise of discretionary powers of registrar.U.K.
29Without prejudice to any provisions of this Act requiring the registrar to hear any party to proceedings thereunder, or to give to any such party an opportunity to be heard, rules made by the Secretary of State under this Act shall require the registrar to give to any applicant for registration of a design an opportunity to be heard before exercising adversely to the applicant any discretion vested in the registrar by or under this Act.
Costs and security for costs.U.K.
30(1)Rules made by the Secretary of State under this Act may make provision empowering the registrar, in anyproceedings before him under this Act—
(a)to award any party such costs as he may consider reasonable, and
(b)to direct how and by what parties they are to be paid.
(2)Any such order of the registrar may be enforced—
(a)in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, in the same way as an order of the High Court;
(b)in Scotland, in the same way as a decree for expenses granted by the Court of Session.
(3)Rules made by the Secretary of State under this Act may make provision empowering the registrar to require a person, in such cases as may be prescribed, to give security for the costs of—
(a)an application for cancellation of the registration of a design,
(b)an application for the grant of a licence in respect of a registered design, or
(c)an appeal from any decision of the registrar under this Act,
and enabling the application or appeal to be treated as abandoned in default of such security being given.
Evidence before registrar.U.K.
31Rules made by the Secretary of State under this Act may make provision—
(a)as to the giving of evidence in proceedings before the registrar under this Act by affidavit or statutory declaration;
(b)conferring on the registrar the powers of an official referee of the [F1 Senior Courts] as regards the examination of witnesses on oath and the discovery and production of documents; and
(c)applying in relation to the attendance of witnesses in proceedings before the registrar the rules applicable to the attendance of witnesses in proceedings before such a referee.
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Textual Amendments
F1Sch. 4 para. 31(b): words substituted (1.10.2009) by Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (c. 4), ss. 59, 148, Sch. 11 para. 4; S.I. 2009/1604, art. 2