Competition Act, 2002

Admissibility of statements contained in certain documents.

13.—(1) If a document contains a statement by a person referred to in subsection (2) asserting that an act has been done, or is or was proposed to be done, by another person, being an act (the “relevant act”) that relates to—

(a) the entry into or the making or implementation of an agreement or decision, or the engaging in of a concerted practice, the subject of proceedings under this Act, or

(b) the doing of the act or acts that constitute an abuse of a dominant position, the subject of proceedings under this Act,

then, subject to the conditions specified in subsection (3) being satisfied, that statement shall be admissible as evidence in the proceedings referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) that the relevant act was done by that other person or was proposed (at the time the statement was made or, as the case may be, at a previous time) to be done by him or her.

(2) The person mentioned in subsection (1) is a person who has done an act of the kind referred to in that subsection in relation to the agreement, decision, concerted practice or abuse of dominant position concerned (whether or not the same act which the other person referred to in that subsection is alleged to have done or proposed to do).

(3) The conditions mentioned in subsection (1) are that the document referred to in that subsection—

(a) has come into existence before the commencement of the proceedings under this Act in which it is sought to tender the document in evidence, and

(b) has been prepared otherwise than in response to any enquiry made or question put by a member or officer of the Authority, a member of the Garda Síochána, an officer of the Commission or an authorised officer relative to any matter the subject of those proceedings.

(4) In estimating the weight, if any, to be attached to a statement admitted in evidence by virtue of this section, regard shall be had to all the circumstances from which any inference can reasonably be drawn as to its accuracy or otherwise.

(5) Where a statement is admitted in evidence by virtue of this section—

(a) any evidence which, if the person who made the statement had been called as a witness, would have been admissible as relevant to his or her credibility as a witness shall be admissible for that purpose,

(b) evidence may, with the leave of the court, be given of any matter which, if that person had been called as a witness, could have been put to him or her in cross-examination as relevant to his or her credibility but of which evidence could not be adduced by the cross-examining party, and

(c) evidence tending to prove that that person, whether before or after making the statement, made (whether orally or not) a statement which is inconsistent with it shall, if not already admissible by virtue of any rule of law or other enactment, be admissible for the purpose of showing that he or she has contradicted himself or herself.

(6) Nothing in this section shall prejudice the admissibility in any proceedings under this Act of any document, as evidence of any matters stated in it, that is so admissible by virtue of any rule of law or other enactment.