18Witness summons

18 Witness summons (1) For the purposes of an investigation under this Act, the Ombudsman may issue a witness summons to a person requiring the person to— (a) attend at a specified time and place on a specified date to produce documents or other things to the Ombudsman; or (b) attend at a specified time and place on a specified date to give evidence before the Ombudsman; or (c) attend at a specified time and place on a specified date before the Ombudsman, to give evidence and to produce documents or other things. S. 18(1A) inserted by No. 11/2021 s. 158(1). (1A) A witness summons issued by the Ombudsman may specify that attendance required under the summons is to be by means of audio visual link or audio link and in a specified manner. S. 18(1B) inserted by No. 11/2021 s. 158(1). (1B) A witness summons issued by the Ombudsman that provides for attendance as described in subsection (1A)— (a) need not specify a place for attendance; and (b) may specify, if any documents are to be produced, that those documents are to be produced by secure electronic means and in a specified manner. (2) A witness summons issued by the Ombudsman must— (a) be in the prescribed form; and (b) unless subsection (3) applies, if the witness summons requires the person to whom it is directed to give evidence—state the nature of the matters about which the person is required to give evidence; and (c) include— (i) a statement that failure to comply with the witness summons without reasonable excuse may be an offence to which penalties apply; and (ii) a reference to section 18B(2) and (3) as examples of what may constitute a reasonable excuse for failing to comply with the witness summons; and (iii) a statement of how the person may object to the witness summons; and (iv) any other prescribed matter; and (d) be served in accordance with section 18A. (3) The Ombudsman is not required to state the nature of the matters about which a person is to give evidence if the Ombudsman considers on reasonable grounds that doing so may— (a) prejudice the conduct of the investigation to which the witness summons relates; or (b) be contrary to the public interest. S. 18(4) amended by No. 11/2021 s. 158(2). (4) A person whose attendance has been required by a witness summons served under this section is required to attend at the time and, if applicable, place to which the investigation is adjourned or postponed without the issue or service of a further witness summons. S. 18(5) inserted by No. 11/2021 s. 158(3). (5) If a person is issued with a witness summons referred to in subsection (1)(a) or (c) in relation to the production of documents or other things, the Ombudsman may excuse that person from attendance if the person produces the required documents or things to the Ombudsman before the time and date for production specified in the witness summons in accordance with any directions given by the Ombudsman. S. 18A inserted by No. 82/2012 s. 234, substituted by No. 2/2019 s. 163, amended by No. 11/2021 s. 159(1).