Mode of dealing with witness refusing to be sworn or to give or produce evidence

(1) Where any person, attending the court as a witness whether on his recognisance, or in obedience to a subpoena, or by virtue of a warrant, or being present in court and being verbally required by the court to give evidence in any cause– (a) refuses to be sworn as a witness; (b) having been so sworn, refuses to answer any question put to him by or with the sanction of the (c) refuses or neglects to produce any document which he is required by the court to produce, without in any of those cases offering any sufficient excuse for the refusal or neglect, the court may, if it thinks fit, adjourn or postpone the trial of the cause for any period not later than the ensuing sitting of the court for the same district and may in the meantime, by warrant, commit the person to prison. (2) If the person, upon being brought before the court at or before the adjourned or postponed trial, again refuses to do what is so required of him, the court may, if it thinks fit, again adjourn or 77 postpone the trial of the cause and commit him in like manner, and so again from time to time until he consents to do what is so required of him. (3) A person who is guilty of the refusal or neglect aforesaid shall also be liable, on the summary order of the court, either in addition to or in lieu of that punishment, to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars and, in default of payment, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding two months. (4) Nothing in this section shall affect the liability of the person to any other punishment or proceeding for refusing or neglecting to do what is so required of him, or shall prevent the court from disposing of the case in the meantime, according to any other sufficient evidence produced before it.