The General Chiropractic Council (Election of Members and Chairman of Council) Rules Order 2002

PART III ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN OF GENERAL COUNCIL

General

11.—(1) The election of a Chairman under paragraph 14(1) of Schedule 1 to the Act shall be conducted in the manner set out in this Part.

(2) The election shall take place at a meeting of the Council (in this Part referred to as “the relevant meeting”).

(3) In the case of the election of the Chairman to succeed the person appointed under paragraph 48 of Schedule 1 to the Act, the relevant meeting shall be the first meeting of the Council, held after the members first elected under paragraph 1(a) of that Schedule take office, with respect to which the period of notice required by rule 12(1) can practicably be given to those members.

Nominations

12.—(1) At least 28 days before the relevant meeting, the Registrar shall give notice to the members of the Council inviting nominations for the office of Chairman.

(2) A nomination shall not be valid unless—

(a) it is in writing and received by the Registrar before the beginning of the period of 14 days ending with the day on which the relevant meeting is held;

(b) it is seconded in writing by another member of the Council, and that seconding is received by the Registrar before the beginning of that period;

(c) the person nominated has before the beginning of that period indicated his willingness to serve in writing to the Registrar.

(3) If only one person is validly nominated before the beginning of the period mentioned in paragraph (2)(a), at the relevant meeting the Registrar shall declare the nominee elected.

(4) If more than one person is validly nominated before the beginning of that period, a ballot shall be conducted by the Registrar at the relevant meeting in accordance with rule 13.

(5) A notice under rule 12(1) may be given by sending it by post to a member’s last known place of residence or (where the member is a registered chiropractor) to his registered address.

Ballots

13.—(1) A ballot held for the purposes of rule 12(4) shall be conducted in accordance with this rule.

(2) Each member present at the meeting at which the ballot is conducted shall be issued with a voting paper by the Registrar, showing—

(a) the names of those nominated in compliance with rule 12, in alphabetical order of their last names;

(b) whether each person so nominated is an elected or appointed member;

(c) in the case of an elected member so nominated, whether he is elected by fully registered chiropractors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland;

(d) in the case of an appointed member so nominated, the person or body which appointed him;

(e) the date on which the office of each person so nominated as a member of the Council will expire; and

(f) the date on which each person so nominated will attain the age of 70.

(3) Unless the number of candidates is two, the count shall be conducted in accordance with the Schedule, treating references to the Election Scrutineer as references to the Registrar and with all other necessary modifications.

(4) If the number of candidates is two, the person elected shall be the person receiving the greater number of votes cast, indicated by the placing of a cross on the right hand side of the voting paper opposite the name of the person in whose favour the vote is cast.

(5) If the ballot results in a tie, the election shall be decided between the persons tying by the drawing of lots conducted by the Registrar at the relevant meeting.

(6) Upon the conclusion of the election, the Registrar shall declare the person who is duly elected.