Title 22

SECTION 128.6

128.6 Discovery.

§ 128.6 Discovery.

(a) Discovery by the respondent. The respondent, through the Administrative Law Judge, may request from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls any relevant information, not privileged or otherwise not authorized for release, that may be necessary or helpful in preparing a defense. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls may provide any relevant information, not privileged or otherwise not authorized for release, that may be necessary or helpful in preparing a defense. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls may supply summaries in place of original documents and may withhold information from discovery if the interests of national security or foreign policy so require, or if necessary to comply with any statute, executive order or regulation requiring that the information not be disclosed. The respondent may request the Administrative Law Judge to request any relevant information, books, records, or other evidence, from any other person or government agency so long as the request is reasonable in scope and not unduly burdensome.

(b) Discovery by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls or the Administrative Law Judge may make reasonable requests from the respondent of admissions of facts, answers to interrogatories, the production of books, records, or other relevant evidence, so long as the request is relevant and material.

(c) Subpoenas. At the request of any party, the Administrative Law Judge may issue subpoenas, returnable before him, requiring the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, records, and other documentary or physical evidence determined by he Administrative Law Judge to be relevant and material to the proceedings, reasonable in scope, and not unduly burdensome.

(d) Enforcement of discovery rights. If the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls fails to provide the respondent with information in its possession which is not otherwise available and which is necessary to the respondent's defense, the Administrative Law Judge may dismiss the charges on her or his own motion or on a motion of the respondent. If the respondent fails to respond with reasonable diligence to the requests for discovery by the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls or the Administrative Law Judge, on her or his own motion or motion of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, and upon such notice to the respondent as the Administrative Law Judge may direct, may strike respondent's answer and declare the respondent in default, or make any other ruling which the Administrative Law Judge deems necessary and just under the circumstances. If a third party fails to respond to the request for information, the Administrative Law Judge shall consider whether the evidence sought is necessary to a fair hearing, and if it is so necessary that a fair hearing may not be held without it, the Administrative Law Judge shall determine whether substitute information is adequate to protect the rights of the respondent. If the Administrative Law Judge decides that a fair hearing may be held with the substitute information, then the proceedings may continue. If not, then the Administrative Law Judge may dismiss the charges.

[61 FR 48832, Sept. 17, 1996, as amended at 71 FR 20551, Apr. 21, 2006]