Natural justice requires a hearing before continuing customs licence suspension, with a speaking order on continuation.

Suspension of a customs house agent's licence could not continue without compliance with natural justice where there was a substantial delay between the alleged incident and the suspension order. The authority was required to grant a personal hearing and pass a speaking order on whether the suspension should continue; failing that, the suspension would stand vacated after four weeks. The underlying inquiry could still proceed separately.

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Issues: Whether suspension of the customs house agent's licence could be continued without granting a personal hearing and whether the matter required reconsideration by a speaking order.

Analysis: There was a substantial time gap between the underlying incident and the suspension order. No hearing had been afforded before the suspension was issued. In these circumstances, the matter required compliance with natural justice before the question of continuation of suspension could be decided.

Conclusion: The Commissioner of Customs was directed to grant a personal hearing and pass a speaking order on whether the suspension should continue. If no such order was passed within four weeks, the suspension order would stand vacated. The contemplated inquiry under Regulation 23 could still proceed.

Final Conclusion: The suspension was not finally upheld and the issue of its continuance was sent back for fresh decision after hearing the appellant, with consequential automatic vacation if the direction was not complied with.

Ratio Decidendi: An order suspending a licence without prior hearing, especially where there is a significant delay between the alleged misconduct and the suspension, cannot be allowed to continue without first affording an opportunity of hearing and passing a reasoned order.

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