Intelligence Services Act 2001

The Chair or another member authorised by the Committee may give a written notice to an agency head requiring him or her to appear before the Committee to give evidence or to produce documents to the Committee.

The notice must specify the day on which, and the time and place at which, the agency head is required to appear or to produce documents. The day must not be less than 5 days after the day on which the notice is given to the agency head.

The notice must also specify the nature of the evidence or documents to be provided to the Committee, and in the case of documents, the form in which they are to be provided.

A requirement under this clause may only be made of the agency head if the Committee has reasonable grounds for believing that the agency head is capable of giving evidence or producing documents relevant to a matter that has been referred to the Committee.

The evidence is to be given by:

if the agency head nominates a staff member to give the evidence—the staff member or both the staff member and the agency head; or

in any other case—the agency head.