Section 10 Adjudicatory proceedings; appeals - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 10. In conducting adjudicatory proceedings, as defined in this chapter, agencies shall afford all parties an opportunity for full and fair hearing. Unless otherwise provided by any law, agencies may (1) place on any party the responsibility of requesting a hearing if the agency notifies him in writing of his right to a hearing and of his responsibility to request the hearing; (2) make informal disposition of any adjudicatory proceeding by stipulation, agreed settlement, consent order or default; (3) limit the issues to be heard or vary the procedures prescribed by section eleven, if the parties agree to such limitation or variation; and (4) allow any person showing that he may be substantially and specifically affected by the proceeding to intervene as a party in the whole or any portion of the proceeding, and allow any other interested person to participate by presentation of argument orally or in writing, or for any other limited purpose, as the agency may order.

When a party to an adjudicatory proceeding has the opportunity, by provision of any law or by regulation, to obtain more than one agency hearing on the same question, whether before the same agency or before different agencies, it shall be sufficient if the last hearing available to the party complies with the requirements of this chapter, and the earlier hearings need not so comply.

When a party has the opportunity to obtain an agency hearing, followed by one or more appeals before the same agency or before different agencies, such appeals being limited to the record made at the hearing, the appeal procedure need not comply with any requirement of this chapter for the conduct of adjudicatory proceedings except paragraphs (7) and (8) of section eleven.

When, under a provision of any law, a hearing is required only upon direction of an agency or upon request made in accordance with such provision by a person entitled to make such request, the requirements of this chapter governing the conduct of adjudicatory proceedings shall not apply unless and until such direction or request is in fact made.