PART 7Proceedings
Procedure for the Fitness to Practise Committee and the Appeals CommitteeI1I262
1
For the purposes of proceedings under this Order in England and Wales—
a
the Fitness to Practise Committee or the Appeals Committee may administer oaths; and
b
the Fitness to Practise Committee, the Appeals Committee or any party to proceedings before either of those committees may apply for the issue of a witness summons directing a person to attend the proceedings in order to give evidence or to produce a document.
2
No person may be compelled under any such summons to give any evidence or to produce any document which that person could not be compelled to give or produce on the trial of an action.
3
Section 36 of the Senior Courts Act 198155 (subpoena issued by High Court to run throughout the United Kingdom), which provides a special procedure for the issue of such a summons so as to be in force throughout the United Kingdom, applies in relation to any proceedings under this Order in England and Wales as it applies in relation to causes and matters in the High Court.
4
For the purposes of any such proceedings in Scotland, the Fitness to Practise Committee or the Appeals Committee may administer oaths and the Court of Session has, on the application of any party to the proceedings, the like power as in any action in that court—
a
to grant warrant for the citation of witnesses and havers to give evidence or to produce documents before the committee, and for the issue of letters of second diligence against any witness or havers failing to appear after due citation;
b
to grant warrant for the recovery of documents; and
c
to grant commissions to persons to take the evidence of witnesses or to examine havers and receive their exhibits and productions.
5
Where—
a
several sittings of the Fitness to Practise Committee or the Appeals Committee are required to enable the committee to dispose of the case; or
b
on an appeal to the relevant court under article 58, the case is remitted to the Fitness to Practise Committee to dispose of the case in accordance with directions given by the court,
the validity of the proceedings on the case before the committee may not be called into question by reason only that members of the committee who were present at a former meeting were not present at a later meeting of the committee or that members present at a later meeting were not present at a former meeting of the committee.