33Commission may obtain information etc.

33 Commission may obtain information etc.

(1) The Commission may give a written notice to any person requiring the person, for the purposes of this Act: (a) to provide to the Commission (or a specified staff member assisting the Commission) such information as the Commission requires; or (b) to produce to the Commission (or a specified staff member assisting the Commission) any documents in the custody or under the control of the person; or (c) to appear before a specified staff member assisting the Commission to answer questions. (2) To avoid doubt, the person given the notice may be a person employed: (a) in, or in connection with, a Department of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory; or (b) by any authority of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory. (3) The notice must specify: (a) if paragraph (1)(a) or (b) applies: (i) the period within which the person must comply with the notice; and (ii) the manner in which the person must comply with the notice; or (b) if paragraph (1)(c) applies: (i) the time at which the person must appear before the staff member; and (ii) the place at which the person must appear before the staff member. (4) The specified period or the specified time mentioned in subsection (3) must be at least 14 days after the notice is given. (5) The Commission may require the information or answers provided under paragraph (1)(c) to be verified by, or given on, oath or affirmation and either orally or in writing. (6) A staff member to whom information or answers are verified or given may administer the oath or affirmation. (7) This section does not require a person to give information, produce a document or give evidence to the extent that, in doing so, the person would contravene a law of the Commonwealth (not being a law of a Territory).

Note: A law of a State or Territory cannot prevent a person from giving information, producing documents or giving evidence for the purposes of this Act (see section 36).

(8) This section binds the Crown in each of its capacities, but does not make the Crown liable to be prosecuted for an offence.