Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act

Marginal note:Investigations or inquiries by Superintendent

• 10 (1) Where, on information supplied by an official receiver, trustee or other person, the Superintendent suspects, on reasonable grounds, that a person has, in connection with any estate or matter to which this Act applies, committed an offence under this Act or any other Act of Parliament, the Superintendent may, if it appears to the Superintendent that the alleged offence might not otherwise be investigated, make or cause to be made such inquiries or investigations as the Superintendent deems expedient with respect to the conduct, dealings and transactions of the debtor concerned, the causes of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the debtor and the disposition of the property of the debtor.

• (2) [Repealed, 1992, c. 27, s. 7]

• Marginal note:Examination

  (3) If, on the application of the Superintendent or the Superintendent’s authorized representative, a subpoena has been issued by the court, the Superintendent may, for the purpose of an investigation under subsection (1), examine or cause to be examined under oath before the registrar of the court or other authorized person, the debtor, any person who the Superintendent suspects, on reasonable grounds, has knowledge of the affairs of the debtor, or any person who is or has been an agent or a mandatary, or a clerk, a servant, an officer, a director or an employee of the debtor, with respect to the conduct, dealings and transactions of the debtor, the causes of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the debtor, and the disposition of the property of the debtor, and may order any person liable to be so examined to produce any books, records, papers or documents in the person’s possession or under the control of the person relating to the debtor and the conduct, dealings and transactions of the debtor, the causes of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the debtor or the disposition of the debtor’s property.

• Marginal note:Questions

  (4) A person being examined pursuant to this section is bound to answer all questions relating to the conduct, dealings and transactions of the debtor, the causes of the debtor’s bankruptcy or insolvency and the disposition of the debtor’s property.

• Marginal note:Privilege of witness

  (5) Where a person being examined pursuant to this section objects to answering any question on the ground that his answer may tend to criminate him or may tend to establish his liability to a civil proceeding at the instance of the Crown or of any person and if, but for this section or section 5 of the Canada Evidence Act, he would have been excused from answering that question, the answer so given shall not be used or admitted in evidence against him in any proceeding, civil or criminal, thereafter taking place other than a prosecution for perjury in the giving of that evidence.

• Marginal note:Compliance

  (6) No person shall hinder, molest or interfere with any person doing anything that he is authorized by or pursuant to this section to do, or prevent or attempt to prevent any person doing any such thing, and, notwithstanding any other Act or law, every person shall, unless he is unable to do so, do everything he is required by or pursuant to this section to do.

• Marginal note:Copies

  (7) Where any book, record, paper or other document is examined or produced in accordance with this section, the person by whom it is examined or to whom it is produced or the Superintendent may make or cause to be made one or more copies thereof, and a document purporting to be certified by the Superintendent or a person thereunto authorized by him to be a copy made pursuant to this section is admissible in evidence and has the same probative force as the original document would have if it were proven in the ordinary way.