Representation of the People Act 1985

20 Summoning new Parliament: effect of demise of the Crown

(1) Where a proclamation summoning a new Parliament has been given, the demise of the Crown shall not, except as provided by this section, affect the summoning of the new Parliament in pursuance of the proclamation or its duration; and accordingly sections 3 and 4 of the [1797 c. 127.] Meeting of Parliament Act 1797 (which, if the demise occurs before the day appointed for the meeting of the new Parliament, require the dissolved Parliament to meet and sit for six months and make similar provision in the event of the death of the heir within that period) and section 5 of that Act (which, if the demise occurs on or after that day but before the new Parliament meets and sits, requires the new Parliament to be dissolved within six months) shall cease to have effect.

(2) Where the demise occurs at any time after the proclamation is given and before the date of the poll—

(a) the meeting of Parliament shall (subject to any prorogation subsequent to the demise) take place on the day following the end of the period of fourteen days beginning with the day appointed in the proclamation for the meeting or, if the first-mentioned day is a day to be disregarded in computing any period of time for the purposes of the timetable in the rules in Schedule 1 to the principal Act, on the next day which is not such a day, and

(b) that timetable shall have effect for the purposes of the Representation of the People Acts, in relation to anything which at the time of the demise has not been done and was not required to be done before that time, as if the proclamation given, and any proceeding referred to in that timetable (including the receipt of the writ) which has taken place, had been given or taken place on the day following the end of the period of fourteen days beginning with the day on which it was given or took place.

(3) Where the meeting of Parliament is postponed under subsection (2) above, any writ issued or to be issued in pursuance of the proclamation (whether a writ of election, writ of summons or writ of attendance) shall have effect as if, instead of the date appointed in the proclamation for the meeting, it specified the date to which the meeting is postponed (but any writ still to be issued may specify the latter date).

(4) Where the day on or before which or before a certain time in which or between certain times in which anything is required to be done under the Representation of the People Acts is postponed under subsection (2) above, any notice or other document under any provision of those Acts, being a document referring to the original day, shall have effect as if it referred instead to the day determined by virtue of that subsection (but a document under any such provision may specify the latter day).

(5) Where the date of the poll at an election is postponed under subsection (2) above, section 76 of the principal Act (limitation on election expenses) shall have effect in relation to any candidate at the election as if the maximum amount specified in subsection (2)(a) of that section were increased by one half.