Employment Equality Act, 1977

Offence relating to investigations, etc.

42.—(1) If a person—

(a) fails or refuses to supply to the Agency information required by it and specified in a notice under section 41 (1) or to produce or send to the Agency any document in his power or control and required by the Agency in such a notice to be produced by him,

(b) on being duly summoned as a witness before the Agency fails or refuses to attend,

(c) being in attendance as a witness before the Agency refuses to take an oath or to make an affirmation when legally required by the Agency to do so or to answer any question to which the Agency may legally require an answer, or

(d) does anything which would, if the Agency were a court of justice having power to commit for contempt of court, be contempt of such court,

he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £100 or, on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £1,000, and where the offence is one referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) of this subsection the court by which he is so convicted may direct him to comply with the paragraph in question.

(2) If a person to whom a notice under section 41 (1) has been delivered alters, suppresses, conceals or destroys a document specified in the notice or makes a false statement when supplying to the Agency information specified in the notice, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £100.