Offences
14.—(1) A person who provides false information in connection with an application to which article 8, 9, 11 or 12 applies is guilty of an offence.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), “false information” means a signature which—
(a)is not the usual signature of; or
(b)was written by a person other than,
the person whose signature it purports to be.
(3) A person does not commit an offence under paragraph (1) if he did not know and had no reason to suspect that the information was false.
(4) Where sufficient evidence is adduced to raise an issue with respect to the defence under paragraph (3), the court shall assume that the defence is satisfied unless the prosecution proves beyond reasonable doubt that it is not.
(5) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to—
(a)imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks; or
(b)a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale,
or both.
(6) In relation to an offence committed before the commencement of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003(1), the reference in paragraph (5)(a) to 51 weeks must be taken to be a reference to 6 months.
(7) A person also commits an offence if he—
(a)engages in an act specified in paragraph (8) at an Assembly election; and
(b)intends, by doing so, to deprive another of an opportunity to vote or to make for himself or another a gain of a vote to which he or the other is not otherwise entitled or a gain of money or property.
(8) These are the acts—
(a)applying for a postal or proxy vote as some other person (whether that other person is living or dead or is a fictitious person);
(b)otherwise making a false statement in, or in connection with, an application for a postal or proxy vote;
(c)inducing the registration officer or constituency returning officer to send a postal ballot paper or any communication relating to a postal or proxy vote to an address which has not been agreed to by the person entitled to the vote; and
(d)causing a communication relating to a postal or proxy vote or containing a postal ballot paper not to be delivered to the intended recipient.
(9) In paragraph (7)(b), property includes any description of property.
(10) In paragraph (8) a reference to a postal vote or a postal ballot paper includes a reference to a proxy postal vote or a proxy postal ballot paper (as the case may be).
(11) A person who commits an offence under paragraph (7) or who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of such an offence is guilty of a corrupt practice and shall be liable on conviction in accordance with article 120.