Report No. 24
Section 8
For section 8 of the principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely,-
"8. Procedure to be followed by the Commission.-(1) If, at any stage of the inquiry, the Commission considers it necessary to inquire into the conduct of any person or is of opinion that the reputation of any person is likely to be prejudicially affected by the inquiry, the Commission shall give to that person a reasonable opportunity of being heard in the inquiry and producing evidence in his defence:
Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall apply where the credit of a witness is being impeached.
(2) The appropriate Government, every person referred to in sub-section (1) and, with the permission of the Commission, any other person whose evidence is recorded by the Commission,-
(a) may cross-examine any person appearing before the Commission, other than a person produced by it or him as a witness;
(b) may address the Commission.
(3) The appropriate Government, every person referred to in sub-section (1) and, with the permission of the Commission, any other person whose evidence is recorded by the Commission may be represented before the Commission by a legal practitioner or, with the permission of the Commission, by any other person.
(4) Subject to the provisions contained in this Act and to any rules that may be made in this behalf, the Commission shall have power to regulate its own procedure (including the power to fix the places and times of its sittings and to decide whether to sit in public or in private)"