Representation of the People Act 1983

202 General provisions as to interpretation. U.K.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

• [F1 “the absent voters list” means, in relation to any election, the list kept under section 7 of the Representation of the People Act 1985 for that election]

• “Attorney General” includes the Solicitor General in cases where the Attorney General is interested or otherwise unable to act;

• “the City” means the City of London;

• “Clerk of the Crown” means Clerk of the Crown in Chancery;

• “Common Council” means the Common Council of the City;

• “dwelling house” includes any part of a house where that part is occupied separately as a dwelling house;

• “election” means a parliamentary election or an election under the local government Act;

• “election court” means—

(a) In relation to a parliamentary election petition, the judges presiding at the trial;

(b) in relation to a petition questioning an election under the local government Act, the court constituted under this Act for the trial of that petition;

• “election petition” means a petition presented in pursuance of Part III of this Act;

• “elector” in relation to an election, means any person whose name is for the time being on the register to be used at that election, but does not include those shown in the register as below voting age on the day fixed for the poll;

• “legal incapacity” includes (in addition to any incapacity by virtue of any subsisting provision of the common law) any disqualification imposed by this Act or any other Act;

• [F2 “the list of proxies” has, in relation to any election, the meaning given by section 7 of the Representation of the People Act 1985]

• [F3 “overseas elector’s declaration” has the meaning given by section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1985]

• “parliamentary election petition” means an election petition questioning a parliamentary election or return;

• “parliamentary elections rules” means the parliamentary elections rules in Schedule 1 to this Act;

• “person” includes (without prejudice to the provisions of the M1 Interpretation Act 1978) an association corporate or unincorporate;

• “prescribed” except in Part III of this Act means prescribed by regulations;

• “proper officer” means in England and Wales one within the meaning of section 270(3) and (4) of the M2 Local Government Act 1972, and in Scotland one within the meaning of section 214 and paragraph 2(1) of Part I of Schedule 27 to the M3 Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973;

• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

• “service voter” means a person who has made a service declaration and is registered or entitled to be registered in pursuance of it;

• “standard scale” has the meaning given by section 75 of the M4 Criminal Justice Act 1982;

• “statutory maximum” has the meaning given by section 74 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982;

• “sub-agent” has the meaning given by section 68(1) above;

• “voter” means a person voting at an election and includes a person voting as proxy and, except in the parliamentary elections rules, and the rules under section 36 and 42 above, a person voting by proxy, and “vote” (whether noun or verb) shall be construed accordingly, except that in those rules any reference to an elector voting or an elector’s vote shall include a reference to an elector voting by proxy or an elector’s vote given by proxy.

(2) For the purposes of the Repesentation of the People Acts a person shall be deemed not to have attained a given age until the commencement of the relevant anniversary of the day of his birth.

Textual Amendments

F1 Definition of “the absent voters list” inserted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 11, Sch. 2 para. 3(a)

F2 Definition of “the list of proxies” inserted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 11, Sch. 2 para. 3(b)

F3 Definition of “overseas elector's declaration” inserted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 4(5)

F4 Definition of “registration duties” repealed by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), ss. 24, 28, Sch. 4 para. 70 Sch. 5

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 202 applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I

C2 S. 202 applied with modifications (E.W.S) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I

C3 Definition of “prescribed” is extended (N.I.) (with modifications) by Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 (c. 3, SIF 42), ss. 2, 13(6), Sch. 1 Pt. I

Marginal Citations

M1 1978 c. 30.

M2 1972 c. 70.

M3 1973 c. 65.

M4 1982 c. 48