(1) A witness may be summoned and sworn in as in civil proceedings.
(2) At the trial, the Court may, by order under the hand of the judge, summon a person who appears to him or her to have been concerned in the election to attend as a witness, and a person willfully refusing to obey the order commits contempt of court.
(3) A witness may, after his or her examination by the Court, be cross-examined by or on behalf of the petitioner and respondent, or either of them.
(4) A person called as a witness in the case of an election petition before the Court shall not be excused from answering any question relating to any offence committed at or connected with the election, on the ground of privilege.
(5) Notwithstanding subrule (4) —
(a) a witness who answers truly all questions which he or she is required by the Court to answer shall in the discretion of the Court be eligible to receive a certificate of indemnity from the judge stating that the witness has so answered; and
(b) an answer by a person to a question put by or before the Court is not admissible in evidence against that person in civil or criminal proceedings, except in the case of any criminal proceeding for perjury in respect of the evidence.
(6) The reasonable expenses incurred by a person who is, in the first instance, called by a party as a witness and appears to give evidence at the trial of an election petition, is payable by the party who calls him or her as a witness and the amount payable shall be ascertained and certified by the Registrar, by order of the judge.
(7) The expenses under subrule (6) may be included in the costs of the election petition and shall be paid by the party directed to pay those costs.
(8) The expenses of a witness called and examined by the judge are deemed to be costs of the election petition and shall be paid as directed by the order of the judge.