The Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2015

• Citation: S.I. 2015/1610
• Sections: 2

Section 1 Citation, commencement and interpretation

(1) This Order may be cited as the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2015.

(2) It comes into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

(3) In this Order “the 1983 Act” means the Representation of the People Act 1983 .

Section 2 Amendment of the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001

(1) The Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 is amended as follows.

(2) For paragraph (5) of article 3 (application of certain provisions for Assembly elections) substitute—

(5) The references to parliamentary election to which paragraph (3)(a) does not apply are those in the following provisions of the 1983 Act—

(a) subsections (2) and (5) of section 18AA (polling districts at parliamentary elections: Northern Ireland) ;

(b) subsection (3) of section 18B (polling places at parliamentary elections) ;

(c) subsection (2) of section 18D (review of polling districts and places: representations to Electoral Commission);

(d) subsection (4)(a)(i) of section 160 (persons reported personally guilty of corrupt or illegal practices) ; and

(e) subsection (1)(a)(i) of section 173 (incapacities on conviction of corrupt or illegal practice) .

(3) In Schedule 1 (application with modifications of provisions of electoral legislation), for the entry for section 18A of the 1983 Act (polling districts at parliamentary elections) substitute—

For subsection (2) substitute—

(2) The polling districts that apply from time to time for the purpose of parliamentary elections have effect for the purpose of Assembly elections.

(4) In Schedule 1, in the entry for section 18B of the 1983 Act (polling places at parliamentary elections)—

(a) in the left-hand column, omit “, subsection (1)”; and

(b) in the right-hand column insert—

in paragraph (b), for “for which it is responsible” substitute “which it proposes to designate under subsection (3A)”;

in paragraph (c) omit “or the designation of which as a polling place it is reviewing”;

in paragraph (d), at the beginning insert “where subsection (3A) applies,” and after “polling district” insert “designated under that subsection”; and

in paragraph (e), at the beginning, insert “where subsection (3A) applies,” and after “polling district” insert “designated under that subsection.”

(5) In Schedule 1, after the entry for section 18B of the 1983 Act insert—

omit “18A or”;

after “18B” insert “, so far as that review was carried out for the purpose of parliamentary elections,”;

at the end of paragraph (a) omit “or”; and

omit paragraph (b).

(2A) A relevant representation is also a representation that a decision to designate a polling place that has been made by the relevant authority under section 18B(3A) has not been made so as to—

meet the reasonable requirements of the electors in the constituency or any body of those electors; or

take sufficient account of the accessibility to disabled persons of polling stations within a designated polling place.

in paragraph (a) after “in the circumstances” insert “for the purpose of Assembly elections;

after paragraph (a) insert—

(ba) direct the relevant authority to make any alterations to the polling places designated under section 18B(3A) which the Commission think necessary in the circumstances.

in paragraph (b) after “alterations” (the first place it occurs) insert “mentioned in paragraph (a) or (ba)”.