Part 2 U.K.The Chief Electoral Officer
8TenureU.K.
(1)The Chief Electoral Officer—
(a)is appointed by the Secretary of State, and
(b)subject to what follows, holds office in accordance with the terms of his appointment (or re-appointment).
(2)A person must not be appointed as Chief Electoral Officer for more than 5 years at a time.
(3)The period for which a person holds office as Chief Electoral Officer must not exceed 10 years.
(4)The Chief Electoral Officer may resign by notice in writing to the Secretary of State.
(5)The Secretary of State may dismiss the Chief Electoral Officer if satisfied that—
(a)he has without reasonable excuse failed to discharge his functions for a continuous period of 3 months beginning not earlier than 6 months before the day of dismissal,
(b)he has been convicted of an offence,
(c)a bankruptcy order has been made against him, or his estate has been sequestrated, or he has made a composition or arrangement with, or granted a trust deed for, his creditors, or
(d)he is unable or unfit to carry out his functions.
(6)This section applies in relation to the person who at commencement holds the office of Chief Electoral Officer as if—
(a)subsection (2) required his appointment to end no later than 5 years after commencement, and
(b)the total period which under subsection (3) must not be exceeded were 10 years plus the period of his appointment before commencement.
(7)“Commencement” means the commencement of this section.
(8)In this Part “Chief Electoral Officer” has the meaning given by section 14(1) of the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 (c. 14 (N. I.)).
9Annual reportsU.K.
(1)The Chief Electoral Officer must each year—
(a)prepare a report on how he has discharged his functions in the year to which the report relates, and
(b)send a copy of the report to the Secretary of State by such date as the Secretary of State directs.
(2)The report must include an assessment of the extent to which the relevant registration objectives in Northern Ireland have been met in the year to which the report relates.
(3)“The relevant registration objectives” has the meaning given by section 10ZB of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (c. 2).
(4)The Secretary of State must lay a copy of the report before each House of Parliament.