The Northern Ireland Elections (Returning Officer’s Charges) Order 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes provision for the returning officer’s charges at the elections to be held under the Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc.) Act 1996.

Under section 29(3) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended and as applied by the Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1996) the entitlement of a returning officer at such elections to recover his charges in respect of his expenses for or in connection with such an election depends upon—

(a) the expenses being of a kind specified in an order under that provision,

(b) the expenses being properly incurred, and

(c) the charges in respect of them being reasonable.

Parts A and B of the Schedule to this Order specify the kinds of expenses incurred by a returning officer for or in connection with such an election in respect of which he is entitled to recover his charges, together (in the case of Part A) with the maximum recoverable amounts in respect of those charges. The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the returning officer for each constituency in Northern Ireland by virtue of section 26 of the Representation of the People Act 1983, as applied by the Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.