Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts29. Power of Commissioner to establish investigation committee
(1) The Commissioner may, on undertaking an investigation pursuant to section 28, establish by instrument under the Commissioner's hand, a committee to assist and advise the Commissioner in the matter.
(2) A committee established under subsection (1) shall consist of persons who, in the opinion of the Commissioner, have expertise in product safety.
(3) For the purpose of assisting and advising the Commissioner in connection with an investigation, a committee established under subsection (1) may serve on any person a notice in writing signed by the member appointed by the Commissioner to be its Chairman:
(a) requiring the person to attend at a time and place specified in the notice, and to give evidence to the committee or a member of the committee nominated by it for the purpose; or
(b) requiring the person to produce at a time and place specified in the notice, to the committee or a member of the committee nominated by it for the purpose, any goods or documents described in the notice that are in the custody or under the control of that person.
(4) A committee established under subsection (1) may, after paying a fair price for them, cause goods produced pursuant to a notice under subsection (3) to be subjected to such tests and examinations as the committee considers necessary for the purpose of determining whether or not the goods are dangerous to health or a possible source of danger to health.
(5) A person is not compellable to give any evidence, or produce any document, pursuant to a notice under subsection (3) which the person could not be compelled to give or produce in civil proceedings in the Supreme Court.
(6) A person is not required to comply with a notice under subsection (3) unless the reasonable expenses of attending on the committee are paid or tendered to the person.
(7) A person shall not:
(a) without reasonable excuse, refuse or fail to do anything required of the person by a notice under subsection (3);
(b) in response to a notice under subsection (3), give evidence that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular; or
(c) alter, suppress or destroy any document which the person is required to produce by a notice under subsection (3).
Penalty for an offence against subsection (7):
If the offender is a natural person - 100 penalty units.
If the offender is a body corporate - 500 penalty units.