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Political Parties and Elections Act 2009

Political Parties and Elections Act 2009

2009 CHAPTER 12

Commentary on Sections

Part 1: the Electoral Commission

Section 4: Selection of prospective Electoral Commissioners and Commission chairman

15.Section 4 amends section 3 of the 2000 Act, which governs the appointment of Electoral Commissioners and the Commission chairman. Subsection (2) of the section inserts a new subsection (2) into section 3, which expands the series of requirements which must be met in relation to the appointment procedures. Her Majesty will continue to appoint Commissioners on presentation of an Address from the House of Commons; but, in addition to the existing requirements set out in current subsection (2) that the Speaker agree to the making of the motion and that the leader of each party which has two or more members in the House of Commons be consulted on the motion, paragraph (c) of the substituted subsection (2) requires that each person proposed for appointment must have been selected in accordance with a procedure put in place and overseen by the Speaker’s Committee.

16.Subsection (3) inserts a subsection (5A) into section 3 of the 2000 Act, providing that a Commissioner may be re-appointed without undergoing a fresh selection procedure if so recommended by the Speaker’s Committee.

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