Representation of the People Act 1983

[F1 63 Breach of official duty. U.K.

(1) If a person to whom this section applies is, without reasonable cause, guilty of any act or omission in breach of his official duty, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(2) No person to whom this section applies shall be liable for breach of his official duty to any penalty at common law and no action for damages shall lie in respect of the breach by such a person of his official duty.

(3) The persons to whom this section applies are—

(a) the Clerk of the Crown (or, in Northern Ireland, the Clerk of the Crown for Northern Ireland),

(b) any sheriff clerk, registration officer, returning officer or presiding officer,

(c) any other person whose duty it is to be responsible after a local government election for the used ballot papers and other documents (including returns and declarations as to expenses),

(d) any postmaster, and

(e) any deputy of a person mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (d) above or any person appointed to assist or in the course of his employment assisting a person so mentioned in connection with his official duties;

and “official duty” shall for the purposes of this section be construed accordingly, but shall not include duties imposed otherwise than by the law relating to parliamentary or local government elections or the registration of parliamentary or local government electors.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 63 substituted for ss. 63, 64 by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 19

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 63 applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I

C2 S. 63 applied (E.W.S.) with modifications by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I

C3 S. 63 applied with modifications (S.) by S.I. 1986/1111, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I

C4 S. 63 applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/1091, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I

C5 S. 63 applied with modifications (E.W.) by S.I. 1986/1081, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I

C6 S. 63 applied (17.2.1994) by S.I. 1994/342, regs. 1(2)(3), 2(2), 8(2)(3)

S. 63 applied (with modifications) (31.7.1997) by 1997 c. 61, s. 3, Sch. 3 para. 13 Table 1

C7 S. 63 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by S.I. 1996/1220, art. 3(1)(5)-(8), Sch. 1

S. 63 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (25.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/1126, art. 6, Sch. 2

S. 63 applied (with modifications) (E.W.) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/341, reg. 13(4)(5), Sch. 4 Pt. I

S. 63 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/400, reg. 13(3)(4), Sch. 4 Pt. I