The Representation of the People and Recall Petition (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Signing sheets endorsed by petition clerk

19.—(1) Regulation 29 (signing sheets endorsed by petition clerk)(1) is amended as follows.

(2) For paragraph (1) substitute—

“(1) A person who wishes to sign the petition but is unable to sign the signing sheet on the ground of—

(a) blindness or other disability, or

(b) inability to read,

may apply to the petition clerk for the clerk to endorse the person’s signing sheet as mentioned in paragraph (1A).

(1A) If, following an application under paragraph (1), the petition clerk is satisfied that the person is unable to sign the signing sheet, the petition clerk may endorse that person’s signing sheet to indicate that the person was unable to sign the signing sheet as a result of their disability or inability to read but wishes to sign the petition and for their signing sheet to be included in the final count.”.

(3) In paragraph (2), for “(1)” substitute “(1A)”.

(4) In paragraph (3)—

(a) for “(7)” substitute “(7C)”;

(b) for the words from “reading” to the end substitute—

“as if—

(a) references to delivering a signing sheet to a person were references to endorsing a signing sheet, and

(b) in regulation 28(6B), the reference to paragraph (1) were a reference to paragraph (1) of this regulation.”.

(1)

Regulation 29 was amended, in relation to England, Wales and Scotland, by regulation 77 of S.I. 2022/1382, and those amendments are extended to Northern Ireland by regulation 13.