Production of exempt documents

(1) Where there are proceedings before the Ombudsman under this Act in relation to a document that is claimed to be an exempt document, and the Ombudsman is not satisfied, by evidence on affidavit or otherwise that the document is an exempt document, he may require the document to be produced for inspection by him only and if, upon the inspection, he is satisfied that the document is an exempt document, he shall return the document to the person by whom it was produced without permitting any other person to have access to the document or disclosing the contents of the document to any other person. (2) The Ombudsman may require the production, for inspection by him only, of an exempt document for the purposes of determining whether it is practicable for a Ministry or prescribed authority to grant access to a copy of the document with such deletions as to make the copy not an exempt document and, where an exempt document is produced by reason of such a requirement, he shall return the document to the person by whom it was produced without permitting any other person to have access to the document, or disclosing the contents of the document to any other person. (3) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2) but subject to subsection(4)of this section, the is not empowered in any proceedings to require the production of a document in respect of which there is in force a certificate under section 22 or 23 of this Act. (4) Where a certificate of a kind referred to in subsection (3) of this section, identifies a part or parts of the document concerned in the manner provided in section 22 (3) or 23 (3) of this Act, subsection (3) of this section does not prevent the Ombudsman from requiring the production, in proceedings before him under this Act in relation to the document, of a copy of so much of the document as is not included in the part or parts so identified.