Any witness appearing before the Council or any of its committees may be represented by counsel. Any person whose character shall have been impugned in the course of an inquiry or investigation by the Council or by any of its committees shall be given the opportunity to appear with or without counsel, to present evidence, to cross-examine any person who may have impugned his character, and to call witnesses of his own, and the Council shall, upon application being made, exercise its subpoena power to compel the attendance of such persons and witnesses.

ANNOTATION

Sources: No specific source.

Purposes: This section protects the rights of witnesses appearing at councilmanic inquiries and investigations. It also affords an opportunity to be heard to persons whose characters may have been impugned in the course of such inquiries and investigations. It thus seeks to avoid some of the injustices which have in recent years resulted from legislative inquiries and investigations elsewhere.