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(1) The District Chief Executive shall establish a Compensation Board when necessary.

(2) The Compensation Board shall hear and determine claims for a refund of sales licence fees under section 4 and damages or compensation for destruction of property under sections 8 and 9 or a provision of the Regulations and a similar claim in respect of measures taken before the commencement of this Act.

(3) The Compensation Board shall consist of five persons including a public officer, a real estate valuer, a legal practitioner and a person who is not a public officer.

(4) The members of the Board are entitled to allowances determined by the District Chief Executive.

(5) In appointing a Compensation Board, the District Chief Executive shall

(a) define the local limits of the jurisdiction of the board; and

(b) appoint a secretary to the board; and where a person appointed is unable or unwilling to act or dies, the District Chief Executive may appoint another person as a member.

(6) An appointment made under this section shall be published within seven days in the Gazette.

(7) A compensation board shall have the powers of the High Court to summon witnesses, and to call for the production of books, plans or documents, and to examine witnesses and parties on oath.

(8) A person summoned to attend and give evidence or to produce books, plans or documents

(a) shall obey the summons served on that person in the same manner as a witness is bound to obey subpoenas from the High Court, and

(b) is entitled to the same expenses as a witness summoned to attend the High Court on a criminal trial, but the Board may disallow the whole or a part of the expenses.

(9) Where the members of a Compensation Board are equally divided, the matter shall be referred to a Justice of the High Court, whose decision becomes the award of the Board.

(10) The award of the Compensation Board shall be in writing signed by the members or by the Justice and the amount awarded shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

(11) For the purposes of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459), a Compensation Board is an inferior Court and is subject to the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court.