The Special Educational Needs Tribunal Regulations 2001

Summoning witnesses

26.—(1) The President may by summons require any person in England and Wales to attend as a witness at a hearing of an appeal at such time and place as may be specified in the summons, and at any adjournment of that hearing, and at the hearing to answer any questions or produce any documents or other material in his custody or under his control which relate to any matter in question in the appeal:

Provided that—

(a) no person shall be compelled to give any evidence or produce any document or other material that he could not be compelled to give or produce at a trial of an action in a Court of law;

(b) in exercising the power conferred by this regulation, the President shall take into account the need to protect any matter that relates to intimate personal or financial circumstances or consists of information communicated or obtained in confidence;

(c) no person shall be required to attend in obedience to such a summons unless he has been given at least five working days' notice of the hearing or, if less than five working days, he has informed the President that he accepts such notice as he has been given; and

(d) no person shall be required in obedience to such a summons to attend and give evidence or to produce any document unless the necessary expenses of his attendance are paid or tendered to him.

(2) A party seeking a witness summons shall apply in writing to the Secretary of the Tribunal at least eight working days before the hearing, or later if the person to whom the summons is to be addressed consents in writing.

(3) A witness summons shall contain—

(a) a reference to the fact that, under section 336 of the 1996 Act, any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with any requirement to attend to give evidence and, if the summons so requires, to produce documents shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale; and

(b) a statement of the effect of paragraph (4).

(4) A person to whom a witness summons is addressed may apply to the President, by notice to the Secretary of the Tribunal, to vary it or set it aside, but the President shall not do so without first notifying the party who applied for the issue of the summons and considering any representations made by him.