Land Acquisition Act - Singapore Statutes Online

Hearing and disposal of appeals

25.—(1) On receipt of a petition of appeal, the Registrar shall forthwith forward one copy thereof to the Collector and shall, as soon as possible thereafter, fix a time and place for the hearing of the appeal and shall give 14 days’ notice thereof both to the appellant and to the Collector.

(2) The appellant and the Collector shall attend, either in person or by an advocate and solicitor, at such times and places as may be fixed for the hearing of the appeal:

Provided that if it is proved to the satisfaction of the Board that, owing to absence from Singapore, sickness or other reasonable cause, any person is prevented from so attending, the Board may postpone the hearing of the appeal for such reasonable time as it thinks necessary.

(3) The onus of proving that the award is inadequate shall be on the appellant.

(4) The Board shall have the following powers:

(a)	to summon to attend at the hearing of an appeal any person who it may consider is able to give evidence respecting the appeal, to examine that person as a witness either on oath or otherwise and to require that person to produce such books, papers or documents as the Board may think necessary for the purposes of the appeal;
(b)	to allow any person so attending any reasonable expenses necessarily incurred by him in so attending; such expenses shall form part of the costs of the appeal and, pending and subject to any order by the Board as to such costs, shall be paid by the appellant or the Collector, as the Board may direct;
(c)	all the powers of the High Court with regard to the enforcement of attendance of witnesses, hearing evidence on oath and punishment for contempt; and
(d)	to admit or reject any evidence adduced, whether oral or documentary and whether admissible or inadmissible under the provisions of any written law for the time being in force relating to the admissibility of evidence.

(5) Every person examined as a witness by or before the Board, whether on oath or otherwise, shall be legally bound to state the truth and to produce such books, papers or documents as the Board may require.

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