Representation of the People Act 1983

181 Director of Public Prosecutions. U.K.

(1) Where information is given to the Director of Public Prosecutions that any [F1 offence under this Act has been committed], it is his duty to make such inquiries and institute such prosecutions as the circumstances of the case appear to him to require.

(2) The Director by himself or by his assistant or by his representative appointed under subsection (3) below [F2 may and, if the election court so requests him, shall] attend the trial of every election petition.

(3) The Director may nominate, F3 . . . , a barrister[F4 , solicitor or authorised person]F3 . . . to be his representative for the purposes of this Part of this Act F3 . . . .

[F5 (3A) In subsection (3) “authorised person” means a person (other than a barrister or solicitor) who, for the purposes of the Legal Services Act 2007, is an authorised person in relation to an activity which constitutes the exercise of a right of audience (within the meaning of that Act).]

[F6 (4) The Director in performing any duty under this Act shall act in accordance with regulations under the M1 Prosecution of Offences Act 1979, and subject to them in accordance with the directions (if any) given to him by the Attorney General; and any assistant or representative of the Director in performing any duty under this Part shall act in accordance with those regulations and directions (if any) and with the directions given to him by the Director.]

(5) There shall be allowed to the Director and his assistant or representative for the purposes of this Part (other than his general duties under subsection (1) above) such allowances for expenses as the Treasury may approve.

(6) The costs incurred in defraying the expenses of the Director incurred for those purposes (including the remuneration of his representative) shall, in the first instance, be paid by the Treasury, and F7 . . . shall be deemed to be expenses of the election court; but if for any reasonable cause it seems just to the court so to do, the court shall order all or part of those costs to be repaid to the Treasury by the parties to the petition, or such of them as the court may direct.

(7) In the application of this section to Scotland, subsections (2) to (6) shall be omitted.

[F8 (8) In the application of this section to Northern Ireland, the reference to the M2 Prosecution of Offences Act 1979 does not apply.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 63(a)

F2 Words substituted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 63(b)

F3 Words repealed by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), ss. 24, 28, Sch. 4 para. 63(c), Sch. 5

F4 Words in s. 181(3) substituted (1.1.2010) by Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29), ss. 208, 211, Sch. 21 para. 52(a) (with ss. 29, 192, 193); S.I. 2009/3250, art. 2(h) (with art. 9)

F5 S. 181(3A) inserted (1.1.2010) by Legal Services Act 2007 (c. 29), ss. 208, 211, Sch. 21 para. 52(b) (with ss. 29, 192, 193); S.I. 2009/3250, art. 2(h) (with art. 9)

F6 S. 181(4) repealed (E.W.) by Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (c. 23, SIF 39:1), s. 31(6), Sch. 2

F7 Words repealed by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 28, Sch. 5

F8 S. 181(8) repealed (E.W.) by Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (c. 23, SIF 39:1), s. 31(6), Sch. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 181 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)-(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I

S. 181 applied (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I

S. 181 applied (N.I.) (25.4.1998) by Northern Ireland Negotiations (Referendum) Order 1998 (S.I. 1998/1126), art. 6, Sch. 2

C2 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/1220), art. 3(1)(b)(5)-(8), Sch. 1

S. 181 applied (with modifications) (11.3.1999) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/787), art. 85(1)-(3), Sch. 6 Pts. I, II (which S.I. was revoked (21.11.2002 except for specified purposes) by S.I. 2002/2779, arts. 1, 2 (which S.I. was revoked (15.3.2007) by S.I. 2007/937, art. 2(a)))

S. 181 applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by The Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/2599), art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)

S. 181 applied (with modifications) (21.11.2002 except for specified purposes) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/2779), arts. 1, 81, Sch. 6 Pts. I, II (which S.I. was revoked (15.3.2007) by S.I. 2007/937, art. 2(a))

S. 181 applied (with modifications) (15.3.2007 except for specified purposes) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/937), arts. 1, 83, Sch. 6 Pts. I, II

C3 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (30.12.2010 except for specified purposes) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2999), arts. 1(1), 84(1)(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 1 (with art. 1(2)(3))

C4 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (30.12.2010 except for specified purposes) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/2999), arts. 1(1), 84(2)(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 2 (with art. 1(2)(3))

C5 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (3.8.2012) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), regs. 1, 8, 12, 13, Sch. 4 Pt. 1

C6 S. 181 applied (with modifications) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), reg. 17, Sch. 8 Table 1 (as inserted (E.W.) (6.4.2013) by S.I. 2013/798, regs. 1, 7, Sch. 3)

C7 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (S.) (16.12.2015) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015 (S.S.I. 2015/425), arts. 1(1), 82(2)(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 2 (with art. 1(2))

C8 S. 181 applied (with modifications) (S.) (16.12.2015) by The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015 (S.S.I. 2015/425), arts. 1(1), 82(1)(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 1 (with art. 1(2))

C9 S. 181(1) applied (with modifications) (31.7.1997) by Referendums (Scotland and Wales) Act 1997 (c. 61), s. 3, Sch. 3 para. 13 Table 1

S. 181(1) applied (with modifications) (2.4.2001) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/1298), regs. 8, 10(4), Sch. 3 Table 2 (subject to regs. 9-12, 15-17, 20, 25)

S. 181(1) applied (W.) (24.3.2004) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/870), reg. 8, {Sch. 3 Table 2} (which S.I. was revoked (24.7.2008) by S.I. 2008/1848)

S. 181(1) applied (23.7.2004) by The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1962), art. 6(2), Sch. 2 Pt. 2

C10 S. 181(1) applied (E.) (28.7.2007) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2089), regs. 8, 11, 13, {Sch. 4 Table 1}

C11 S. 181(1) applied (with modifications) (W.) (24.7.2008) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Wales) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1848), reg. 8, {Sch. 4 para. 1 Table 1}

C12 S. 181(1) applied (with modifications) (E.) (9.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums)(England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/323), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1

C13 S. 181(1) applied (with modifications) (E.) (18.2.2012) by The Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (Council Tax Increases) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/444), reg. 1, Sch. 4 para. 1 (with reg. 27)

C14 S. 181(1)-(3A)(5)(6) applied (with modifications) (25.7.2012) by The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1917), arts. 1(2), 50(6), Sch. 9 para. 1(5)

Marginal Citations

M1 1979 c. 31.

M2 1979 c. 31.