Government of Wales Act 2006

16 Disqualification from being Assembly member

(1) A person is disqualified from being an Assembly member if that person—

(a) is disqualified from being a member of the House of Commons under paragraphs (a) to (e) of section 1(1) of the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24) (judges, civil servants, members of the armed forces, members of police forces and members of foreign legislatures),

(b) holds any of the offices for the time being designated by Order in Council as offices disqualifying persons from being Assembly members,

(c) holds the office of Auditor General,

(d) holds the office of Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, or

(e) is employed as a member of the staff of the Assembly.

(2) Subject to section 17(1) and (2), a person is also disqualified from being an Assembly member if that person is disqualified otherwise than under the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24) (either generally or in relation to a particular constituency) from being a member of the House of Commons or from sitting and voting in it.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2) the references to the Republic of Ireland in section 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1981 (c. 34) (disqualification of offenders detained in, or unlawfully at large from detention in, the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland) are to be treated as references to any member State (other than the United Kingdom).

(4) A person who holds office as lord-lieutenant, lieutenant or high sheriff of any area in Wales is disqualified from being an Assembly member for any Assembly constituency or Assembly electoral region wholly or partly included in that area.

(5) An Order in Council under paragraph (b) of subsection (1)—

(a) may designate particular offices or offices of any description, and

(b) may designate an office by reference to any characteristic of a person holding it,

and in that paragraph and this subsection “office” includes any post or employment.

(6) No recommendation is to be made to Her Majesty in Council to make an Order in Council under subsection (1)(b) unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing the Order in Council has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly.