UK Offence Report

Other voting offences

article 26(4) of The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 1999

This offence was read from the text as made, and no revised version was available, so a later revocation could not be ruled out. Check the current text at legislation.gov.uk.

What the provision says

4 A person shall be guilty of an offence if–

a he votes as proxy for the same elector either–

i more than once in the same constituency at any Scottish parliamentary election; or

ii in more than one constituency at

a Scottish parliamentary general election;

b he votes in person as proxy for an elector at

a Scottish parliamentary election at which he is entitled to vote by post as proxy for that elector; or

c he votes in person as proxy for an elector at

a Scottish parliamentary election knowing that the elector has already voted in person at the election.

Text as made, from legislation.gov.uk. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.

Who it binds, and what has to be proved

Binds
a person
Conduct
breaching the provision
Fault element
Requires proof of a state of mind
Burden of proof
No statutory defence — prosecution proves everything

The prosecution must prove both that the conduct happened and that it was done with the state of mind the provision names (knowing that).

The provision states no defence, so the prosecution bears the burden on every element of the offence.

Classifier’s reasoning: mens rea word in the offence-creating words: knowing that.

What would breach article 26(4)?

These are illustrations, not law. They are generated from the provision’s own words to show the shape of the offence. Whether any particular conduct is caught depends on the full text, on any amendment since, and on the facts.

  1. Doing what the provision prohibits, or failing to do what it requires under the Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 1999.

Penalty

Mode of trial
Either way — magistrates’ court or Crown Court
Maximum fine
Unlimited
Standard scale
Level 5
Maximum prison (summary)
3 months
Maximum prison (on indictment)
2 years

level 5 is unlimited in England and Wales for offences committed on or after 12 March 2015 (LASPO 2012 s.85, S.I. 2015/664).

Sentencing

Offences of this kind are usually sentenced under the guidelines below. This is a mapping by subject, not a finding about this provision, and the links go to a search of the Sentencing Council’s own site.

Prosecution figures

No published per-offence figure was found for this provision, and it could not be matched to a Ministry of Justice offence code. Offences created by statutory instrument very largely do not have one. Absence of a figure is not evidence that the offence is unused.

Status and lifecycle

Current status
Status not determined
Made
10 March 1999
In force from
Not determined
Extent
Not stated

How this was established: read from the text as made; no revised version available, so later revocation could not be ruled out.

What the instrument is for

(This note is not part of the Order) — the explanatory note published with the instrument, © Crown copyright.

This Order makes provision as to the conduct of elections and return of members to the Scottish Parliament (“the Parliament”) which was established by the Scotland Act 1998. Part I of the Order contains general provisions concerning the commencement, citation and interpretation of the Order. Part II of the Order makes provision about the franchise for the Parliament and its exercise. Part III of the Order makes provision concerning election campaigns at Scottish parliamentary elections. Part IV of the Order (with Schedule 6) makes provision in connection with legal proceedings. Part V of the Order makes miscellaneous and supplemental provision, for example, in relation to the filling of certain vacancies. Schedule 1 makes provision in respect of electors lists and registers. Schedule 2 contains the Scottish Parliamentary Election Rules. Schedule 3 makes provision concerning absent voting. Schedule 4 makes provision about the issue and receipt of postal ballot papers. Schedule 5 makes provision concerning the combination of polls. Schedule 6 applies certain provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 with modifications, concerning with legal proceedings. Schedule 7 makes provision in connection with the use of rooms in school premises and meeting rooms for election meetings. Schedule 8 makes modifications of certain enactments which are consequential on the provision of the Order. The Appendix sets out certain forms for use at Scottish parliamentary elections.

Read the full note and every offence in this instrument

What Parliament said

Mentions of this instrument in Hansard. Parliamentary material is reused under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Other offences in the same instrument

How this was identified as an offence

Everything above rests on the judgement that this provision creates a criminal offence, rather than mentioning one. That judgement is made by rule, from the words of the provision, and this is the rule that made it — with a confidence of 0.92.

Basis
the provision says a person is “guilty of an offence”
Confidence
0.92 of 1.00

A provision that states a penalty for an offence created elsewhere can read very like one that creates an offence, and the rules can mistake the one for the other. If the text quoted above sets a penalty for something made an offence by another provision, treat the classification on this page with that in mind, and read the instrument.

Check the source