INDEPENDENT PRICING AND REGULATORY TRIBUNAL ACT 1992 - SECT 21
Hearings in investigations
INDEPENDENT PRICING AND REGULATORY TRIBUNAL ACT 1992 - SECT 21
Hearings in investigations
21 Hearings in investigations
(1) The Tribunal is required to hold at least one hearing for the purposes of
each investigation and may hold further hearings if it considers that it is
necessary to do so.
(2) The Tribunal may also hold public seminars, conduct
workshops and establish working groups and task forces for the purposes of an
investigation.
(3) Before the Tribunal begins to hold hearings for the
purposes of an investigation, it must give reasonable notice, in a manner that
the Tribunal is satisfied is likely to bring the notice to the attention of
members of the public generally, of its intention to hold the hearings, the
subject of the hearings and the time and place at which the first of the
hearings is to begin.
(3A) The Tribunal may call for written submissions to
be made before the hearings commence, and may specify a time and date by which
those submissions must be made. The Tribunal may extend the time for the
making of submissions.
(4) A hearing is to be held in public.
(5) However,
if the Tribunal is satisfied that it is desirable to do so because of the
confidential nature of any evidence or matter or for any other reason, it
may--
(a) direct that a hearing or a part of a hearing is to take place in
private and give directions as to the persons who may be present, or
(b) give
directions prohibiting or restricting the publication of evidence given before
the hearing or of matters contained in documents given to the Tribunal.
(6) A
person must not contravene a direction given under subsection (5) (b).
:
Maximum penalty--100 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.
(7)
Schedule 3 applies to a hearing, so far as that Schedule is capable of so
applying, as if the hearing were a meeting of the Tribunal.
