Section 36: Sittings of Tribunal

36. Sittings of Tribunal (1) The Tribunal may sit at such place and at such time as the President thinks fit. (2) The Tribunal— (a) shall carry out its functions with diligence; (b) shall sit in public, unless, for good cause shown in any particular case or in relation to any specific matter, it determines otherwise; (c) may make such orders for requiring the attendance of any person and the production of any document or exhibit as it thinks necessary or expedient; (d) may enter and inspect any property for the purposes of inquiring into the complaint; and (e) may summon witnesses and examine them on oath. (3) Where the Tribunal determines that proceedings shall be conducted in private, it may order the parties, or any other person, not to disclose or publish details of the proceedings. E13A – 25 [Issue 5] Equal Opportunities Act (4) Any person who— (a) fails without reasonable excuse, to attend the Tribunal after having been required to do so under subsection (2); (b) refuses to take an oath before the Tribunal or to answer fully and satisfactorily to the best of his knowledge and belief any question lawfully put to him in any proceedings before the Tribunal or to produce any document when required to do so by the Tribunal; (c) knowingly gives false evidence or evidence which he knows to be misleading before the Tribunal; (d) at any sitting of the Tribunal— (i) insults a person referred to in section 34 (1); (ii) interrupts the proceedings; (e) fails to comply with an order made or directive issued by the Tribunal; or (f) commits any other contempt of the Tribunal, shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 100,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years. [S. 36 amended by s. 11 of Act 31 of 2011 w.e.f. 31 December 2011.]