The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
27. Court assistance
in taking evidence.
1.
The
arbitral tribunal, or a party with the approval of the arbitral tribunal, may
apply to the Court for assistance in taking evidence.
2.
The
application shall specify-
a. the raises and
addresses of the panics and the arbitrators,
b. the general nature of
the claim and the relief sought,-
c. the evidence to be
obtained, in particular,-
i.
the
name and addresses of any person to be heard as witness or expert witness and a
statement of the subject- matter of the testimony required;
ii.
the
description of any document to be produced or property to be inspected.
1.
2.
3.
The
Court may, within its competence and according to its rules on taking evidence,
execute the request by ordering that the evidence be provided directly to the
arbitral tribunal.
4.
The
Court may, while making an order under sub-section (3), issue the same
processes to witnesses as it may issue in suits tried before it.
5.
Persons
failing to attend in accordance with such process, or making any other default,
or refusing to give their evidence, or guilty of any contempt to the arbitral
tribunal during the conduct of arbitral proceedings, shall be subject to the
like disadvantages, penalties and punishments by order of the Court on the
representation of 12 the arbitral tribunal as they would for the like offences
in suits tried before the Court.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
In
this section the expression "Processes" includes summonses and
commissions for the examination of witnesses and summonses to produce
documents.