Title 17
SECTION 11.7
11.7 Rights of witnesses.
§ 11.7 Rights of witnesses.(a) Orders authorizing issuance of subpoenas. Any person upon whom a subpoena has been served compelling him to furnish documentary evidence or testimony in an investigation shall, upon his request, be permitted to examine a copy of the Commission's order pursuant to which the subpoena has been issued. However, a copy of the order shall not be furnished for his retention except with the express approval of either the Director, a Deputy Director, the Program Coordinator, the Chief Counsel, an Associate Director, or a Regional Counsel of the Division of Enforcement, or a Regional Director of the Commission; approval shall not be given unless it has been shown by the person seeking to retain a copy that his retention of a copy would be consistent both with the protection of privacy of persons involved in the investigation and with the unimpeded conduct of the investigation.
(b) Copies of testimony or data. A person compelled to submit data or evidence in the course of an investigatory proceeding shall be entitled to retain or, upon payment of appropriate fees as set forth in the Schedule of Fees for records services, 17 CFR part 145b, procure a copy or transcript thereof, except that the witness may for good cause be limited to inspection of the official transcript of his testimony.
(c) Right to counsel. A person compelled to appear, or who appears in person by request or permission of the Commission or its staff during an investigation, may be accompanied, represented, and advised by counsel. Subject to the provisions of § 11.8(b) of this part, he may be represented by any attorney-at-law who is admitted to practice before the highest court in any State or territory or the District of Columbia, who has not been suspended or disbarred from appearance and practice before the Commission in accordance with the provisions of part 14 of this title, and who has not been excluded from further participation in the particular investigatory proceeding for good cause established in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of this section.
(1) The right to be accompanied, represented and advised by counsel shall mean the right of a person testifying to have an attorney present with him during any aspect of an investigative proceeding and to have this attorney advise his client before, during and after the conclusion of such examination. At the conclusion of the examination, counsel may request the person presiding to permit the witness to clarify any of his answers which may need clarification in order that his answers not be left equivocal or incomplete on the record. For his use in protecting the interests of his client with respect to that examination counsel may make summary notes during the examination.
(2) With due regard for the rights of a witness, the Commission may for good cause exclude a particular attorney from further participation in any investigation in which the Commission has found the attorney to have engaged in dilatory, obstructionist or contumacious conduct. The person conducting an investigation may report to the Commission instances of apparently dilatory, obstructionist or contumacious conduct on the part of an attorney. After due notice to the attorney, the Commission may take such action as the circumstances warrant based upon a written transcript evidencing the conduct of the attorney in that investigation or such other or additional written or oral presentation as the Commission may permit or direct.
(d) Self-Incrimination; immunity - (1) Self-Incrimination. Except as provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section, a witness testifying or otherwise giving information in an investigation may refuse to answer questions on the basis of the right against self-incrimination granted by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.
(2) Immunity. 2 If the Commission believes that the testimony or other information sought to be obtained from any individual may be necessary to the public interest and that individual has refused or is likely to refuse to testify or provide other information on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination, the Commission, with the approval of the Attorney General, may issue an order requiring the individual to give testimony or provide other information which he previously refused to give on the basis of self-incrimination. Whenever a witness refuses, on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination, to testify or provide other information in an investigation under this part, and the person presiding over the investigation communicates to the witness an order issued by the Commission requiring the witness to give testimony or provide other information, the witness may not refuse to comply with the order on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination; but no testimony or other information compelled under the order (or any information directly or indirectly derived from such testimony or other information) may be used against the witness in any criminal case, except a prosecution for perjury, giving a false statement, or otherwise failing to comply with the order.
2 This subsection shall be effective on and after such date as section 6001 of Title 18 of the United States Code has been amended to include the Commodity Futures Trading Commission among those agencies which may, with the approval of the Attorney General, grant immunity to witnesses to the extent and in the manner prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.
[41 FR 29799, July 19, 1976, as amended at 61 FR 1709, Jan. 23, 1996]