Code of Civil Procedure Article 367-1

The court may examine the parties on its own initiative when it considers it necessary.In the case provided in the preceding paragraph, the presiding judge may, either before or after the examination, order the examined party to sign a written oath, and in such case the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 312, Article 313, and the first paragraph of Article 314 shall apply mutatis mutandis.Where a party refuses to state or sign a written oath without giving a justifiable reason, the court may take such refusal into consideration in finding the truth of the disputed fact.Where a party has been ordered by the court to appear in person and he/she fails to appear without giving a justifiable reason, he/she shall be deemed to have refused to testify, except in cases where the summons is served by deposit or constructive notice.The summons ordering a party to appear in person shall indicate the consequences of a failure to appear as provided in the preceding paragraph and a refusal to state or sign a written oath as provided in the third paragraph.The provisions of the five preceding paragraphs shall apply mutatis mutandis to the statutory agents of the parties.