Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

29 Qualifications for nomination, election and holding office as member of local authority. S

(1) A person shall, unless disqualified by virtue of this Act or any other enactment, be qualified to be nominated as a candidate for election as, or to be elected, or to be, a member of a local authority if he has attained the age of [F1 18] years, is a [F2 qualifying Commonwealth citizen] or a citizen of the Irish Republic [F3 or a relevant citizen of the Union] and not subject to any legal incapacity and—

(a) is, on the day on which he is nominated as a candidate, a local government elector for the area of the authority; or

(b) has, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the day on which he is nominated as a candidate, occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the area of the authority; or

(c) his principal or only place of work in the twelve months preceding the day on which he is nominated as a candidate has been in the area of the authority; or

(d) has, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the day on which he is nominated as a candidate, resided in the area of the authority.

[F4 (1A) A person who has received a severance payment (within the meaning of section 12 of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9)) shall not be so qualified.]

(2) In subsection (1) above,

• [F5 “citizen of the Union” shall be construed in accordance with [F6 Article 20(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union] and “relevant citizen of the Union” means such a citizen who is not a [F7 qualifying] Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; and]

• “owner” includes heir of entail in possession, liferenter and beneficiary entitled under any trust to the rents and profits of land or other premises, and does not include fiar of land or other premises subject to a liferent, or tutor, curator, judicial factor or commissioners.

[F8 (3) For the purposes of this section, a person is a qualifying Commonwealth citizen if he is a Commonwealth citizen who either—

(a) is not a person who requires leave under the Immigration Act 1971 to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, or

(b) is such a person but for the time being has (or is, by virtue of any enactment, to be treated as having) indefinite leave to remain within the meaning of that Act.

(4) But a person is not a qualifying Commonwealth citizen by virtue of subsection (3)(a) if he does not require leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom by virtue only of section 8 of the Immigration Act 1971 (exceptions to requirement for leave in special cases).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 29(1) substituted (20.1.2005) by Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9), ss. 8, 17(2); S.S.I. 2004/558, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 29(1) substituted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 1.7.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 18, 77, Sch. 1 para. 46(2); S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(bb)(i) (subject to art. 6); S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2(2), 4(z)(i)

F3 Words in s. 29(1) inserted (1.1.1996) by S.I. 1995/1948, regs. 1(2), 3(2)

F4 S. 29(1A) inserted (14.9.2006) by Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 (asp 9), ss. 12(4), 17(2); S.I. 2006/470, art. 2

F5 Definition of "citizen of the Union" in s. 29(2) inserted (1.1.1996) by S.I. 1995/1948, regs. 1(2), 3(2)

F6 Words in s. 29(2) substituted (1.8.2012) by The Treaty of Lisbon (Changes in Terminology or Numbering) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1809), art. 2(1), Sch. Pt. 1 (with art. 2(2))

F7 Word in s. 29(2) inserted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 1.7.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 18, 77, Sch. 1 para. 46(3); S.I. 2006/3412 , {art. 3}, Sch. 1 para. 14(bb)(i) (subject to art. 6); S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2(2), 4(z)(i)

F8 S. 29(3)(4) inserted (1.1.2007 for E.W.S. and 1.7.2008 for N.I.) by Electoral Administration Act 2006 (c. 22), ss. 18, 77, Sch. 1 para. 46(4); S.I. 2006/3412, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 14(bb)(i) (subject to art. 6); S.I. 2008/1316, arts. 2(2), 4(z)(i)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 29 modified (8.11.1994) by 1994 c. 39, s. 7(1), Sch. 2 para. 3 (with s. 7(2)); S.I. 1994/2850, art. 2, Sch. 2

S. 29 applied (temp. from 6.4.1995 to 1.4.1996) by S.I. 1994/3255, art. 3, Sch. I para. 1