(a) An arbitrator may issue a subpoena for the attendance of a witness, and for the production of records and other evidence at a hearing, and may administer oaths. A subpoena must be served in the manner for service of subpoenas in a civil action and, upon a motion to the court by a party to the arbitration proceeding or the arbitrator, enforced in the manner for enforcement of subpoenas in a civil action.
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 29-5-318
Arbitrator: means an individual appointed to render an award, alone or with others, in a controversy that is subject to an agreement to arbitrate. See Tennessee Code 29-5-302
Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
Testify: Answer questions in court.
(b) In order to make the proceedings fair, expeditious, and cost effective, upon request of a party to, or a witness in, an arbitration proceeding, an arbitrator may permit a deposition of a witness to be taken for use as evidence at the hearing, including a witness who cannot be subpoenaed for, or is unable to attend, a hearing. The arbitrator shall determine the conditions under which the deposition is taken.(c) An arbitrator may permit discovery as the arbitrator decides is appropriate in the circumstances, taking into account the needs of the parties to the arbitration proceeding and other affected persons and the desirability of making the proceeding fair, expeditious, and cost effective.(d) If an arbitrator permits discovery under subsection (c), then the arbitrator may order a party to the arbitration proceeding to comply with the arbitrator’s discovery-related orders, issue subpoenas for the attendance of a witness and for the production of records and other evidence at a discovery proceeding, and take action against a noncomplying party to the extent a court could if the controversy were the subject of a civil action in this state.(e) An arbitrator may issue a protective order to prevent the disclosure of privileged information, confidential information, trade secrets, and other information protected from disclosure to the extent a court could if the controversy were the subject of a civil action in this state.(f) All laws compelling a person under subpoena to testify, and all fees for attending a judicial proceeding, a deposition, or a discovery proceeding as a witness, apply to an arbitration proceeding as if the controversy were the subject of a civil action in this state.(g) The court may enforce a subpoena or discovery-related order for the attendance of a witness within this state and for the production of records and other evidence issued by an arbitrator in connection with an arbitration proceeding in another state upon conditions determined by the court so as to make the arbitration proceeding fair, expeditious, and cost effective. A subpoena or discovery-related order issued by an arbitrator in another state must be served in the manner provided by law for service of subpoenas in a civil action in this state and, upon a motion to the court by a party to the arbitration proceeding or the arbitrator, enforced in the manner provided by law for enforcement of subpoenas in a civil action in this state.
