BNP faces prosection over donations record failure – The Times

Posted August 26th, 2009 in elections, news, political parties by sally

“The BNP are facing huge fines and possible prosecution after they failed to submit records of donations. The party faced an unprecedented warning from the head of the Electoral Commission after they also failed to submit their annual accounts to the watchdog, as required by electoral law.”

Full story

The Times, 26th August 2009

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Britain urged to allow prisoners to vote – The Guardian

Posted June 15th, 2009 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“The UK has come under renewed pressure to grant prisoners the vote in time for the next election or fall foul of European human rights legislation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New MP voting system considered – BBC News

Posted June 10th, 2009 in constitutional law, elections, news, parliament by sally

“Gordon Brown is set to announce plans to examine a new system of voting MPs to the House of Commons.”

Full story

BBC News, 10th June 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Prisoners to get right to vote after 140 years following European ruling – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 9th, 2009 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is considering allowing anyone sentenced to less than four years the right to cast a ballot. This would result in more than 28,000 prisoners voting.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 9th April 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Prisoners ‘to be able to vote at next election’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 30th, 2009 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“Prisoners could be given the vote by next year in a double offensive to force Jack Straw to implement a controversial European ruling.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 29th March 2009

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ensuring confidence and transparency in the electoral system – Ministry of Justice

Posted February 12th, 2009 in elections, news by sally

“Justice Minister Michael Wills has given a speech on public confidence and transparency in the democratic process to the Association of Electoral Administrators Conference in Brighton.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice, 10th February 2009

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

R (The Electoral Commission) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court – WLR Daily

Posted January 28th, 2009 in elections, forfeiture, law reports, political parties by sally

R (The Electoral Commission) v City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court [2009] EWHC 78 (Admin); [2009] WLR(D) 24

“There was no presumption that impermissible donations to a registered political party should be forfeited under s 58(2) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 unless there were good reasons not to do so.”

WLR Daily, 27th January 2009

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Appeal over UKIP donation ruling – BBC News

Posted January 23rd, 2009 in elections, forfeiture, news, political parties by sally

“The High Court has granted an appeal against a ruling that UKIP should forfeit only a fraction of £367,697 it received in ‘impermissible donations’.”

Full story

BBC News, 22nd January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog calls for voting reform – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2009 in elections, news by sally

“The UK’s elections watchdog has made a fresh demand for the government to introduce individual voter registration to increase confidence in the system.”

Full story 

BBC News, 14th January 2009

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Finch and another v Richardson – WLR Daily

Posted December 17th, 2008 in elections, expenses, law reports, local government by sally

Finch and another v Richardson [2008] EWHC 3067 (QB); [2008] WLR (D) 389

For the purposes of provisions in the Representation of the People Act 1983 in relation to illegal practices and to errors or false statements in declarations, ignorance of the law could constitute ‘inadvertence’ so as to provide an excuse for such errors and statements.”

WLR Daily, 16th December 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.



Straw off hook on late donation – BBC News

Posted December 15th, 2008 in elections, news, political parties by sally

“No action will be taken over a £3,000 donation which Justice Secretary Jack Straw declared more than four years late, electoral officials have said.”

Full story

BBC News, 12th December 2008

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Hain will not be prosecuted for undeclared donations – the Guardian

Posted December 8th, 2008 in elections, news, political parties by sally

“The former cabinet minister Peter Hain will not face prosecution for his failure to declare donations of £103,000 on time, it emerged yesterday, opening up the possibility of a return to frontline politics.”

Full story

The Guardian, 6th December 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Barclay and Others) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Others – Times Law Reports

Posted December 5th, 2008 in constitutional law, elections, judicial review, law reports, Sark by sally

Regina (Barclay and Others) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Others

Court of Appeal

“Proposed reform of the constitution of the Channel Island of Sark which allowed the Seneschal, appointed by the Seigneur, to be both a member of the legislature and the chief judge, contravened article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, guaranteeing a fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal.”

The Times, 5th December 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note that the Times Law Reports are only availalble free on Times Online for 21 days from th date of publication.

R (Barclay and others) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others – WLR Daily

Posted December 4th, 2008 in constitutional law, elections, human rights, judicial review, law reports, Sark by sally

R (Barclay and others) v Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and others [2008] EWCA Civ 1319; [2008] WLR (D) 376

The Reform (Sark) Law 2008, which, inter alia, provided, in relation to the Island of Sark, a Crown Dependency and a part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, for the Seneschal, the senior judge of Sark, to remain as an unelected member and President of the Chief Pleas, the island’s legislature, did not breach art 3 of the First Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

WLR Daily, 4th December 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Ban on votes for prisoners is illegal, says EU – The Observer

Posted November 10th, 2008 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“The government must give prisoners the right to vote or the next general election will be illegal under European law, ministers have been warned by parliament’s influential Joint Committee on Human Rights.”

Full story

The Observer, 9th November 2008

Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk

Old enough to make a mark? Should the voting age be lowered to 16? – Ministry of Justice

Posted October 21st, 2008 in elections, press releases by sally

“The Youth Citizenship Commission is consulting on the minimum age for elections in the UK.”

Full press release 

Ministry of Justice, 20th October 2008

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Conservatives cleared of breaking electoral law – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 6th, 2008 in elections, news, political parties by sally

“The Electoral Commission, which oversees party funding, has rejected a complaint made by the Labour party about the Tories’ use of Constituency Campaigning Services (CCS).”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th October 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Give prisoners right to vote, says UN – The Guardian

Posted September 19th, 2008 in elections, news, prisons by sally

“Prisoners in British jails should be allowed to vote and the government should enact legislation to that effect, according to a United Nations report. The call was welcomed yesterday by prison reform groups.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th September 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog calls for reform of ’19th century’ electoral system – The Guardian

Posted August 27th, 2008 in elections, news by sally

“The UK’s electoral system is ‘stretched to breaking point’ and unfit for the challenges of the 21st century, the electoral watchdog warned today.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th August 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Slashed tyres and poison pen letters: how Ian Oakley bullied rivals – The Times

Posted August 6th, 2008 in elections, harassment, news by sally

“A Conservative candidate in a key marginal seat conducted a sustained campaign of harassment in an attempt to ‘change the political landscape’ of the town where he hoped to be MP.”

Full story

The Times, 6th August 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk