s 72 Powers of Election Judge
72.—(1) Every application under section 71 must be heard by an Election Judge. (2) Witnesses are to be ordered to attend or ordered to produce documents, and sworn, in the same manner as nearly as circumstances admit as in a trial by the General Division of the High Court in the exercise of its original civil jurisdiction and are subject to the same penalties for the giving of false evidence.[40/2019] [Act 31 of 2022 wef 01/11/2022] (3) On the hearing of an application under section 71, the Election Judge may —(a) by order under his or her hand, compel the attendance of any person as a witness who appears to the Election Judge to have been concerned in the election to which the application refers; and (b) examine any witness so compelled to attend or any person in court, although the witness is not called and examined by any party to the application; and after the examination of a witness by the Election Judge, the witness may be cross‑examined by or on behalf of the applicant and the respondent, or either of them. (4) Any person who wilfully refuses to obey the order of the Election Judge under subsection (3)(a) shall be guilty of contempt of court under section 4(1) of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act 2016.[19/2016] (5) The Election Judge is to be attended on the hearing of an application under section 71 in the same manner as if the Election Judge were a Supreme Court Judge sitting at assizes.[40/2019] (6) All interlocutory matters in connection with an application under section 71 may be dealt with and decided by an Election Judge.