https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=42977 In quasi-judicial excise adjudication, where no specific procedure governs witness examination, the authority may regulate cross-examination in a fair manner consistent with natural justice. The presence of investigating officers during examination is not inherently illegal; exclusion is justified only on material showing a real likelihood of intimidation, coercion, or influence, and no such material was shown here. The authority also has discretion over the sequence of cross-examination and need not accept an inflexible order preferred by a party, especially where that would delay completion of the enquiry. Limited fairness safeguards may still be preserved by recalling witnesses if later evidence requires it. en-us Mon, 27 Aug 1990 00:00:00 +0530 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:40:40 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=42977 In quasi-judicial excise adjudication, where no specific procedure governs witness examination, the authority may regulate cross-examination in a fair manner consistent with natural justice. The presence of investigating officers during examination is not inherently illegal; exclusion is justified only on material showing a real likelihood of intimidation, coercion, or influence, and no such material was shown here. The authority also has discretion over the sequence of cross-examination and need not accept an inflexible order preferred by a party, especially where that would delay completion of the enquiry. Limited fairness safeguards may still be preserved by recalling witnesses if later evidence requires it. Case-Laws Central Excise Mon, 27 Aug 1990 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=42977