Civil court powers extended to advance ruling authorities to compel evidence and treat proceedings as judicial for penal purposes. The Authority and the Appellate Authority are vested with the powers of a civil court to conduct discovery and inspection, enforce attendance, examine persons on oath, issue commissions, and compel production of books and records; they are deemed a civil court for certain criminal initiation provisions but not for specified chapters of criminal procedure, and proceedings before them constitute judicial proceedings for the purposes of penal provisions concerning false evidence.