Article 60

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1.   Where the Office considers it necessary to hear the oral evidence of parties to proceedings or of witnesses or experts, or to carry out an inspection, it shall take a decision to that effect, stating the means by which it intends to obtain evidence, the relevant facts to be proved and the date, time and place of hearing or inspection. If oral evidence from witnesses and experts is requested by a party to proceedings, the decision of the Office shall state the period of time within which the party to proceedings filing the request must make known to the Office the names and addresses of the witnesses and experts whom the party to proceedings wishes to be heard.

2.   At least one month’s notice of a summons dispatched to a party to proceedings, witness or expert to give evidence shall be given unless the Office and they agree to a shorter period. The summons shall contain:

(a) an extract from the decision referred to in paragraph 1, indicating in particular the date, time and place of the investigation ordered and setting out the facts regarding which parties to proceedings, witnesses and experts are to be heard;

(b) the names of the parties to proceedings and particulars of the rights which the witnesses or experts may invoke under the provisions of Article 62(2), (3) and (4);

(c) a statement that the party to proceedings, witness or expert may ask to be heard by the competent judicial or other authority in his country of domicile and a request that he inform the Office within a time limit to be fixed by the Office whether he is prepared to appear before it.

3.   Before a party to proceedings, a witness or an expert may be heard, he shall be informed that the Office may request the competent judicial or other authority in his country of domicile to re-examine his evidence on oath or in some other binding form.

4.   The parties to proceedings shall be informed of the hearing of a witness or expert before a competent judicial or other authority. They shall have the right to be present and to put questions to the testifying parties to proceedings, witnesses and experts, either through the intermediary of the authority or direct.