Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989

5Tribunal procedure

(1)The Department may by regulations make such provision as appears to it to be necessary or expedient with respect to proceedings before the Tribunal.

(2)The regulations may in particular include provision—

(a)for determining by which tribunal any appeal, question or complaint is to be determined where the jurisdiction of the Tribunal is being exercised by more than one tribunal,

(b)for parties to proceedings to be represented by such persons as may be determined by or under the regulations,

(c)for requiring persons to attend to give evidence and produce documents,

(d)as to the admissibility of evidence,

(e)for authorising the administration of oaths to witnesses,

(f)for granting to any person such discovery or inspection of documents or right to further particulars as might be granted by a county court,

(g)for enabling an officer of the Tribunal to determine matters arising prior to a hearing,

(h)prescribing forms to be completed by the parties to a complaint under Part III of the [1976 c. 25.] Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1976 before any hearing before the Tribunal,

(j)for enabling the Tribunal to review its decisions, and revoke or vary its orders or awards, in such circumstances as may be determined in accordance with the regulations,

(k)for the award of costs or expenses,

(l)for taxing or otherwise settling any such costs or expenses (and, in particular, for enabling such costs to be taxed in the county court), and

(m)for the registration and proof of determinations of the Tribunal.

(3)The Tribunal shall give reasons for its decisions.

(4)In relation to proceedings on a complaint under Part III of the [1976 c. 25.] Fair Employment Northern Ireland) Act 1976, the regulations shall include provision for postponing the hearing of a complaint for such period as may be determined in accordance with the regulations for the purpose of giving an opportunity for the complaint to be settled by way of conciliation and withdrawn.

(5)Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, the regulations may enable the Tribunal to sit in private for the purposes of—

(a)hearing evidence which in the opinion of the Tribunal relates to matters of such a nature that it would be against the interests of national security, public safety or public order to allow the evidence to be given in public,

(b)hearing evidence from any person which in the opinion of the Tribunal is likely to consist of —

(i)information which he could not disclose without contravening a prohibition imposed by or under any enactment,

(ii)information which has been communicated to him in confidence or which he has otherwise obtained in consequence of the confidence reposed in him by another person,

(iii)information the disclosure of which would cause substantial injury to any undertaking of his or in which he works, or

(iv)information the disclosure of which would create a substantial risk that he or another individual would be subject to physical attack or sectarian harassment.

(6)The regulations may include provision authorising or requiring the Tribunal, in circumstances specified in the regulations, to send notice or a copy of any document so specified relating to any proceedings before the Tribunal, or of any decision, order or award of the Tribunal, to any person or body so specified.

(7)The [1937 c. 8 (N.I.).] Arbitration Act (Northern Ireland) 1937 does not apply to any proceedings before the Tribunal.

(8)Any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with—

(a)any requirement imposed by the regulations by virtue of subsection (2)(c) above, or

(b)any requirement with respect to the discovery or inspection of documents imposed by the regulations by virtue of subsection (2)(f) above,

is guilty of an offence.

(9)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (8) above—

(a)is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, and

(b)if without reasonable excuse the failure continues after conviction, is liable on a second or subsequent summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one-tenth of level 5 on the standard scale for each day on which the failure continues.

(10)Where the Tribunal sits in private in accordance with any provision included in the regulations by virtue of subsection (5) above, the Tribunal may make an order prohibiting the disclosure of specified information, except so far as the disclosure is necessary—

(a)for the purposes of the proceedings,

(b)for communicating to any person the decision of the Tribunal in the proceedings and for communicating the reasons for the decision to any person to whom the Tribunal is required by the regulations to communicate them, or

(c)for the purposes of any criminal proceedings or to comply with the order of a court.

(11)If a person discloses any information in contravention of an order of the Tribunal under subsection (10) above, he is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.