Section 434: Production of documents and evidence to inspectors., Companies Act 1985

When inspectors are appointed under section 431 or 432, it is the duty of all officers and agents of the company, and of all officers and agents of any other body corporate whose affairs are investigated under section 433(1)—

to produce to the inspectors all documents of or relating to the company or, as the case may be, the other body corporate which are in their custody or power,

to attend before the inspectors when required to do so, and

otherwise to give the inspectors all assistance in connection with the investigation which they are reasonably able to give.

If the inspectors consider that an officer or agent of the company or other body corporate, or any other person, is or may be in possession of information relating to a matter which they believe to be relevant to the investigation, they may require him—

to produce to them any documents in his custody or power relating to that matter,

to attend before them, and

otherwise to give them all assistance in connection with the investigation which he is reasonably able to give;

and it is that person's duty to comply with the requirement.

An inspector may for the purposes of the investigation examine any person on oath, and may administer an oath accordingly.

In this section a reference to officers or to agents includes past, as well as present, officers or agents (as the case may be); and "agents", in relation to a company or other body corporate, includes its bankers and solicitors and persons employed by it as auditors, whether these persons are or are not officers of the company or other body corporate.

An answer given by a person to a question put to him in exercise of powers conferred by this section (whether as it has effect in relation to an investigation under any of sections 431 to 433, or as applied by any other section in this Part) may be used in evidence against him.

However, in criminal proceedings in which that person is charged with an offence to which this subsection applies—

no evidence relating to the answer may be adduced, and

no question relating to it may be asked,

by or on behalf of the prosecution, unless evidence relating to it is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, in the proceedings by or on behalf of that person.

Subsection (5A) applies to any offence other than—

an offence under section 2 or 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 (false statements made on oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath); or

an offence under section 44(1) or (2) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (false statements made on oath or otherwise than on oath); or

an offence under Article 7 or 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (false statements made on oath otherwise than in judicial proceedings or made otherwise than on oath).

In this section "document" includes information recorded in any form.

The power under this section to require production of a document includes power, in the case of a document not in hard copy form, to require the production of a copy of the document—

in hard copy form, or

in a form from which a hard copy can be readily obtained.

An inspector may take copies of or extracts from a document produced in pursuance of this section.

Section 434: Production of documents and evidence to inspectors.

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