Representation of the People Act 1983

Agency by election officials and canvassing by police officers

99Officials not to act for candidates

(1)If—

(a)any returning officer at a parliamentary or local government election, or

(b)any officer or clerk appointed under the parliamentary elections rules, or the rules under section 36 or section 42 above, as the case may be, or

(c)any partner or clerk of any such person,

acts as a candidate's agent in the conduct or management of the election, he shall be guilty of an offence, but nothing in this subsection prevents a candidate from acting as his own election agent.

(2)An offence under subsection (1) in relation to an election in Scotland shall not be tried on indictment but shall be punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

100Illegal canvassing by police officers

(1)No member of a police force shall by word, message, writing or in any other manner, endeavour to persuade any person to give, or dissuade any person from giving, his vote, whether as an elector or as proxy—

(a)at any parliamentary election for a constituency, or

(b)at any local government election for any electoral area,

wholly or partly within the police area.

(2)A person acting in contravention of subsection (1) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or, in Northern Ireland, to a fine not exceeding £100, but nothing in that subsection shall subject a member of a police force to any penalty for anything done in the discharge of his duty as a member of the force.

(3)In this section references to a member of a police force and to a police area are to be taken in relation to Northern Ireland as references to a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and to Northern Ireland.