97. Appointment of deputies---(1) If the President of the Board is
 unable by reason of illness, absence from New Zealand, or other
 sufficient cause to attend any meeting of the Board or to adjudicate on
 any particular matter, the Deputy President shall act as the President
 and shall, while so acting, have all the powers of the President at that
 meeting or for the purposes of adjudicating on that matter.

   (2) The fact that the Deputy President exercises any power, duty, or
 function of the President shall be conclusive evidence of the Deputy
 President's authority to do so.

   (3) If both the President and the Deputy President of the Board are
 unable by reason of illness, absence from New Zealand, or other
 sufficient cause to attend any meeting of the Board or to adjudicate on
 any particular matter, the Minister may appoint any other member of the
 Board to act in the place of the President at that meeting or for the
 purposes of adjudicating on that matter, upon and subject to such terms
 and conditions (if any) as the Minister may specify.

   (4) Any person appointed under subsection (3) of this section shall,
 subject to any terms and conditions specified by the Minister, have all
 the powers of the President at that meeting or for the purposes of
 adjudicating on that matter.

   (5) If any member of the Board (other than the President) is unable by
 reason of illness, absence from New Zealand, or other sufficient cause
 to attend any meeting of the Board, the Minister may appoint any person
 to act in the place of that member at that meeting, upon and subject to
 such terms and conditions (if any) as the Minister may specify.

   (6) No appointment of any person under this section and no acts done
 by that person while acting as the President or any other member of the
 Board, and no act done by the Board while any person is acting as such,
 shall in any proceedings be questioned on the ground that the occasion
 of that person's appointment had not arisen or had ceased.
     Cf. 1983, No. 130, s. 26; 1987, No. 85, s. 32