Part 7Dispute resolution
Fisheries Dispute Commissioners
118Inquiries
For each inquiry, a Commissioner shall determine the procedure that he or she considers appropriate and fair in the circumstances.
The Commissioner shall seek and consider—
- submissions from parties to the inquiry; and
- submissions from such other persons or organisations as the Commissioner considers appropriate.
The Commissioner may receive in evidence any statement, document, information, or matter, that may, in the Commissioner's opinion, assist the Commissioner to deal effectively with the dispute before him or her, whether or not the same would otherwise be admissible in a court of law.
The Commissioner may—
- examine, on oath or otherwise, 1 or more of the parties, or any person whose evidence has been received by the Commissioner under subsection (3):
- require any person to verify by statutory declaration any statement made by that person with respect to the dispute.
If the Commissioner is not satisfied that the dispute is one to which this Part applies, he or she shall refer the dispute back to the Minister and give reasons for doing so.
Without limiting any other provision in this Part, every Commissioner shall have, and may exercise, such powers as are reasonably necessary or expedient to enable the Commissioner to carry out his or her functions.
The parties to the dispute are the parties to the inquiry.