Representation of the People Act 1983

122 Time for presentation or amendment of parliamentary election petition

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, a parliamentary election petition shall be presented within 21 days after the return has been made to the Clerk of the Crown, or to the Clerk of the Crown for Northern Ireland, as the case may be, of the member to whose election the petition relates.

(2) If the petition questions the election or return upon an allegation of corrupt practices and specifically alleges a payment of money or other reward to have been made by the member or on his account or with his privity since the time of that return in pursuance or in furtherance of the alleged corrupt practice, it may be presented within 28 days after the date of the payment.

(3) A petition questioning the election or return upon an allegation of an illegal practice may, so far as respects that illegal practice, be presented—

(a) within 21 days after the day specified in subsection (4) below; or

(b) if specifically alleging a payment of money or some other act to have been made or done since the day so specified by the member to whose election the petition relates or an agent of his, or with the privity of that member or his election agent, in pursuance or in furtherance of the alleged illegal practice, within 28 days after the date of the payment or other act.

(4) The day referred to in subsection (3) above is the tenth day after the end of the time allowed for transmitting to the returning officer returns as to election expenses at the election or, if later—

(a) that on which the returning officer receives the return and declarations as to election expenses by that member and his election agent; or

(b) where the return and declarations are received on different days, the last of those days; or

(c) where there is an authorised excuse for failing to make the return and declarations, the date of the allowance of the excuse, or if there was a failure as regards two or more of them, and the excuse was allowed at different times, the date of the allowance of the last excuse.

(5) An election petition presented within the time limited by subsection (1) or subsection (2) above may, for the purpose of questioning the election or return upon an allegation of an illegal practice, be amended with the leave of the High Court within the time within which a petition questioning the election upon the allegation of that illegal practice could be presented under subsection (3).

(6) Subsections (3), (4) and (5) above apply—

(a) notwithstanding that the act constituting the alleged illegal practice amounted to a corrupt practice; and

(b) to a corrupt practice under section 75 above, as if it were an illegal practice.

(7) For the purposes of this section, an allegation that an election is avoided under section 164 below shall be deemed to be an allegation of corrupt practices, notwithstanding that the offences alleged are or include offences other than corrupt practices.

(8) Except in Scotland, the jurisdiction vested by subsection (5) in the High Court shall, subject to rules of court, be exercised—

(a) by one of the judges for the time being on the rota for the trial of parliamentary election petitions,

(b) in Northern Ireland, by one of the judges of the High Court or the Court of Appeal for the time being selected under section 108 of the [1978 c. 23.] Judicature (Northern Ireland) Act 1978,

sitting either in court or at chambers, or by a master of the Supreme Court in manner directed by and subject to an appeal to those judges.