The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008

[F1 Meaning of qualifying attestor N.I.

27ZI.— (1) A “qualifying attestor” is a person (“P”) who—

(a) is aged 18 years or over,

(b) is registered in a register of parliamentary or local government electors,

(c) is not the spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of the applicant,

(d) except where P is registered in pursuance of an overseas elector’s declaration, is a person whom the registration officer is satisfied is of good standing in the community, and

(e) meets the requirements of paragraph (2).

(2) P meets the requirements of this paragraph where—

(a) if the attestation required is an attestation in accordance with regulation 25A(3), P has not already signed attestations to which paragraph (3) applies for two applicants since the relevant date;

(b) if the attestation required is an attestation in accordance with regulation 25B(3), P has not already signed attestations in accordance with that regulation for two applicants since the relevant date;

(c) if the attestation required is an attestation in accordance with regulation 25C(5), 27ZC(2), 27ZD(2)(b), 27ZE(3)(b) or 27ZF(2), P has not already signed attestations to which paragraph (4) applies for two applicants since the relevant date.

(3) This paragraph applies to an attestation made in accordance with any of the following provisions—

(a) regulation 25A(3);

(b) regulations 26B(6) and (6ZA) and 56C(5A) and (6) of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001(1);

(c) regulations 26B(6) and (6ZA) and 56C(5A) and (6) of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001(2);

(d) paragraph 16C(5) of Schedule 2 to the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012(3);

(e) regulation 72B(5A) and (6) of the Recall of MPs Act 2015 (Recall Petition) Regulations 2016(4);

(f) regulation 7(6) of the Voter Identification Regulations 2022(5).

(4) This paragraph applies to an attestation made in accordance with any of the following provisions—

(a) regulations 25C(5), 27ZC(2), 27ZD(2)(b), 27ZE(3)(b) and 27ZF(2);

(b) regulations 26E(2), 26F(2)(b), 26G(3)(b) and 26H(3) of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001(6);

(c) regulations 26E(2), 26F(2)(b), 26G(3)(b) and 26H(3) of the Representation of the People (Scotland) Regulations 2001.

(5) In paragraph (2), the “relevant date” is whichever is the later of—

(a) the date on which the revised register in which the attestor’s name appears was last published under section 13(1) of the 1983 Act, and

(b) the date on which a notice specifying the attestor’s entry in the register was issued (or last issued) under section 13A(2), 13BA(3) or 13BC of that Act.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Regs. 27ZA-27ZI inserted (16.1.2024) by The Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/43), regs. 1(1), 14 (with reg. 27(1))

(1)

S.I.1986/594 (N.I.3).

(2)

1983 c.2; sections 13, 13A and 13B were substituted by Schedule 1 to the 2000 Act.

(3)

1983 c.2; section 9 was substituted by Schedule 1 to the 2000 Act. Section 9 has also been amended by sections 9, 10 and Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 2006 Act. However, these amendments do not extend to Northern Ireland.

(4)

1985 c.50; section 2 was substituted by Schedule 2 to the 2000 Act (c.2).

(5)

Section 7B was inserted by section 6 of the 2000 Act.

(6)

Section 13 was substituted by Schedule 1 to the 2000 Act (c.2) and subsection (1) was substituted by section 5 of the Miscellaneous Provisions Act (c.33).