HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1981 No. 24 of 1981 - SECT 13 Power of Commission to authorize person to conduct inquiry or investigate matter on its behalf

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1981 No. 24 of 1981 - SECT 13

13. (1) Where the Commission is required or decides under subsection 10 (3) to
inquire into an act or practice, the Commission may, by resolution, authorize
a prescribed person -

   (a)  to inquire into that act or practice on behalf of the Commission; or

   (b)  to investigate a particular aspect of that act or practice on behalf
        of the Commission.

(2) A resolution under sub-section (1) may be revoked by a further resolution
of the Commission.

(3) Where a person is authorized by a resolution under paragraph (1) (a) to
inquire into an act or practice on behalf of the Commission -

   (a)  the person may hold the inquiry, and, where the person considers it
        appropriate to do so, endeavour to effect a settlement of the matters
        that gave rise to the inquiry, as if the Commission were constituted
        by the person alone and, for the purposes of so holding the inquiry
        and endeavouring to effect a settlement, the person may exercise all
        the powers of the Commission;

   (b)  the person shall inform the Commission of the results of the inquiry
        and of any endeavours made by the person to effect a settlement; and

   (c)  any report by the Commission to the Minister in relation to the
        inquiry and any endeavours made to effect a settlement shall be made
        as if the inquiry had been held, and those endeavours had been made,
        by the Commission itself.

(4) Where a person is authorized by a resolution under paragraph (1) (b) to
investigate a particular aspect of an act or practice on behalf of the
Commission -

   (a)  the person may, for the purposes of carrying out that investigation,
        exercise all the powers of the Commission; and

   (b)  the person shall inform the Commission of the results of that
        investigation.

(5) Where the Commission is required or decides under sub-section 10 (3) to
inquire into an act or practice, a resolution by the Commission under
sub-section (1) of this section in relation to that act or practice or a
particular aspect of that act or practice does not prevent the Commission
itself from inquiring into, or investigating that aspect of, that act or
practice or endeavouring to effect a settlement of the matters that gave rise
to the inquiry.