South Australian Consolidated Acts South Australian Consolidated Acts23—Powers of Panel
(1) The Panel may, in
the performance of its functions—
(a) hold
hearings and inquiries;
(b)
receive and consider written submissions;
(c) hear
and consider other evidence and representations;
(d)
conduct (or engage a person to conduct) opinion surveys and polls;
(e)
otherwise inform itself as the Panel thinks fit.
(2) A hearing or
inquiry should be open to the public unless the Panel is hearing, considering
or determining a representation or matter that, in the opinion of the Panel,
should be dealt with on a confidential basis.
(3) The Panel is not
bound by the rules of evidence.
(4) The Panel may, for
the purposes of its functions—
(a) by
summons issued by the Panel, require a person's attendance;
(b)
require a person to answer, orally or in writing, questions to the best of his
or her knowledge, information and belief;
(c)
require a person to verify an answer under paragraph (b) by declaration;
(d)
require a council or person to produce for examination by the Panel books,
papers or other records;
(e)
retain books, papers or other records produced under paragraph (d) for
reasonable periods determined by the Panel and make copies of them or their
contents.
(5) Subject to
subsection (6), a person or council must not refuse or fail to comply
with a requirement under subsection (4).
Maximum penalty: $10 000.
(6) A person is not
obliged to comply with a requirement under subsection (4) if to do so
might incriminate the person of an offence, and a person or a council is not
required to provide information under subsection (4) that is privileged
on the ground of legal professional privilege.
(7) A person may
appear before the Panel personally or by representative.
(8) The Panel should
seek to deal with a matter as expeditiously as possible.