PART IX
EVIDENCE AND PROCEDURE
67.
—(1) Without prejudice to any of the provisions of the Act or these Rules requiring the Registrar to hear any party to proceedings under the Act or these Rules, or to give such party an opportunity to be heard, the Registrar shall, before exercising any power given to the Registrar by the Act or these Rules adversely to any party, give that party an opportunity to be heard.
(2) The Registrar shall give that party at least 10 days’ notice of the date on which he may be heard.
(3) The Registrar shall notify that party of his decision made in the exercise of his power.
68. The hearing before the Registrar of any dispute between 2 or more parties relating to any matter under the Act or these Rules shall be in public unless the Registrar, after consultation with those parties who appear in person or are represented at the hearing, otherwise directs.
69.
—(1) In any proceedings before the Registrar under the Act or these Rules, evidence shall be given by way of a statutory declaration, unless otherwise provided by the Act or these Rules or directed by the Registrar.
(1A) Subject to the provisions of the Oaths and Declarations Act (Cap. 211) and these Rules, Order 41 of the Rules of Court (Cap. 322, R 5) shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to a statutory declaration filed or used in any proceedings before the Registrar as it applies to an affidavit filed or used in any proceedings before the Court.
(2) Any such statutory declaration may, in the case of an appeal to the Court, be used before the Court in lieu of evidence by affidavit, and if so used, shall have all the incidents and consequences of evidence by affidavit.
(3) The Registrar may, in any particular case, take oral evidence in lieu of or in addition to a statutory declaration and shall, unless the Registrar otherwise directs, allow any witness to be cross-examined on his statutory declaration or oral evidence.
(4) [Deleted by S 370/2004]
70. Any statutory declaration filed under the Act or these Rules, or used in any proceedings under the Act or these Rules, shall be made and subscribed as follows:
(a)
in Singapore, before any justice of the peace, or any commissioner for oaths or other officer authorised by law to administer an oath for the purpose of any legal proceedings;
(b)
in any other part of the Commonwealth, before any court, judge, justice of the peace, notary public or any officer authorised by law to administer an oath there for the purpose of any legal proceedings; and
(c)
elsewhere, before a Consul, Vice-Consul, or other person exercising the functions of a Singapore Consul, or before a notary public, judge or magistrate.
71. Any document purporting to have affixed, impressed or subscribed thereto or thereon the seal or signature of any person authorised by rule 70 to take a declaration may be admitted by the Registrar without proof of the genuineness of the seal or signature or of the official character of the person or his authority to take the declaration.