Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962

1 N.I. Bribery

(1) A person shall be guilty of bribery if he, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf—

(a) gives any money or procures any office to or for any voter or to or for any other person on behalf of any voter or to or for any other person in order to induce any voter to vote or refrain from voting; or

(b) corruptly does any such act as aforesaid on account of any voter having voted or refrained from voting; or

(c) makes any such gift or procurement as aforesaid to or for any person in order to induce that person to procure, or endeavour to procure, the election of any candidate at any election or the vote of any voter; or

(d) upon or in consequence of any such gift or procurement as aforesaid, procures or engages, promises or endeavours to procure the election of any candidate at any election or the vote of any voter.

For the purposes of this sub-paragraph—

(i) references to giving money shall include references to giving, lending, agreeing to give or lend, offering, promising, or promising to procure or endeavour to procure any money or valuable consideration; and

(ii) references to procuring any office shall include references to giving, procuring, agreeing to give or procure, offering, promising, or promising to procure or to endeavour to procure any office, place or employment.

(2) A person shall be guilty of bribery if he advances or pays or causes to be paid any money to or to the use of any other person with the intent that that money or any part thereof is to be expended in bribery at any election or knowingly pays or causes to be paid any money to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or in part expended in bribery at any election.

(3) The foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall not extend or be construed as extending to any money paid or agreed to be paid for or on account of any lawful expenses incurred in good faith at or in relation to an election.

(4) A voter shall be guilty of bribery if before or during an election he directly or indirectly by himself or by any other person on his behalf receives, agrees, or contracts for any money, gift, loan or valuable consideration, office, place or employment for himself or for any other person for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting.

(5) A person shall be guilty of bribery if after an election he directly or indirectly by himself or by any other person on his behalf receives any money or valuable consideration on account of any person having voted or refrained from voting or having induced any other person to vote or refrain from voting.

(6) In this paragraph the expression voter includes any person who has or claims to have a right to vote either on his own behalf or by proxy.