Section 388 - Imprisonment or committal of person refusing to answer or produce document

Refusal to answer or produce documents permits short custodial committal and statutory committal procedures for persistent non compliance.

Where a summoned witness refuses, after a reasonable opportunity, to answer questions or to produce documents or things in his possession or power and offers no reasonable excuse, the Criminal Court may, for reasons recorded in writing, sentence him to simple imprisonment or commit him by warrant to the custody of a court officer for a limited term not exceeding seven days, unless he consents to be examined or to produce the material; continued refusal may be dealt with under the statutory committal provisions.