§ 959.20 Depositions. ( a ) Not later than 5 days after the filing of respondent's answer, any party may file an application with the Recorder for the taking of testimony by deposition. In support of such application, the applicant shall submit under oath or affirmation, a statement containing the reasons why such testimony should be taken by deposition, the time and place, and the name and address of the witness whose deposition is desired, the subject matter of the testimony of each witness, its relevancy, and the name and address of the person before whom the deposition is to be taken.
( b ) If the application be granted, the order shall specify the time and place thereof, the name of the witness, the person before whom the deposition is to be taken, and any other necessary information.
( c ) Each deponent shall first be duly sworn, and the adverse party shall have the right to cross-examine. The questions and answers, together with all objections, shall be reduced to writing and, unless waived by stipulation of the parties, shall be read to and subscribed by the witness in the presence of the deposition officer who shall certify it in the usual form. The deposition officer shall file the testimony taken by deposition as directed in the order. All objections made at the time of examination shall be noted by the deposition officer and the evidence objected to shall be taken subject to the objections. In lieu of participating in the oral examination, a party may transmit written interrogatories to the deposition officer, who shall propound them to the witness and record the answers verbatim. Objections to relevancy or materiality of testimony, or to errors and irregularities occurring at the oral examination in the manner of taking the deposition, in the form or relevancy or materiality of the questions or answers, in the oath or affirmation, or in the conduct of the parties, and errors of any kind which might be obviated, cured or removed if promptly presented, are waived unless timely objection is made at the taking of the deposition.
( d ) At the hearing, any part or all of the deposition may be offered into evidence by any party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or who had notice thereof. If the deposition is not offered and received into evidence, it shall not be considered as a part of the record. The admissibility of depositions or parts thereof shall be governed by the rules of evidence.
( e ) The party requesting the deposition shall pay all fees required to be paid to witnesses and the deposition officer, and shall provide an original and one copy thereof for the official record, and shall serve one copy upon the opposing party.
( f ) Within the United States, or within a territory or possession subject to the dominion of the United States, depositions may be taken before an officer authorized to administer oaths by the laws of the United States or of the place where the examination is held; within a foreign country, depositions may be taken before a secretary of an embassy or legation, consul general, vice consul or consular agent of the United States, or any other person designated in the order for the taking of the deposition.
( g ) Depositions may also be taken and submitted on written interrogatories in substantially the same manner as depositions taken by oral examination. When a deposition is taken upon written interrogatories and cross-interrogatories, none of the parties shall be present or represented, and no person, other than the witness, a stenographic reporter, and the deposition officer, shall be present at the examination of the witness, which fact shall be certified by the deposition officer, who shall propound the interrogatories and cross-interrogatories to the witness in their order and cause the testimony to be reduced to writing in the witness' own words.
[39 FR 33213, Sept. 16, 1974, as amended at 63 FR 66052, Dec. 1, 1998]