Government of Ireland Act 1920

Section 13.

FOURTH SCHEDULE Provisions with respect to the Nomination, Election, and Term of Office of Senators

1 His Majesty may, by Orders in Council, make such provisions as may appear necessary or proper with respect to the election of senators, and in particular with respect to the making and keeping of lists of the electors specified in the third part of. the Second Schedule, the issue of writs, the modes of service, and the returns to be made to such writs.

2 (a) The term of office of every elected member of the Senate of Northern Ireland shall be eight years, provided that one half of such members shall retire at the end of every fourth year, the members to retire .at the end of the first four years being selected by lot.

(b) With respect to the members of the Senate of Southern Ireland, the term of office of every nominated senator, and of every elected senator (other than senators elected by, members of county councils) shall be ten years, and the term of office of a senator elected by members of county councils shall be three years. Provided that, where a particular qualification is required under Part III. of the Second Schedule for a senator to be elected by any of the classes of electors specified in that part of the said schedule, such a senator shall cease to hold office on ceasing to have that qualification. The disqualification of persons in Holy Orders shall not apply in respect of any Archbishop or Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church or Church of Ireland elected as a senator of the appropriate class.

(c) The term of office of a senator shall not be affected by a dissolution of the Parliament of Southern. Ireland or Northern Ireland.

(d) Senators shall retire at the end of their term of office and their seats shall be filled by new elections.

3 If the place of an elected senator becomes vacant before the expiration of his term of office by death, resignation, incapacity, or otherwise, the Lord Lieutenant shall cause a writ or writs to be issued for the election by the body by whom such senator was elected of a senator in his place, and, if the place of a nominated senator so becomes vacant, the Lord Lieutenant shall nominate a new senator in his place, but any senator so elected or nominated to fill a casual vacancy shall hold office only so long as the senator in whose stead he is elected or nominated would have held office.

4 At any contested election of four or more members of the Senate of Southern Ireland or of Northern Ireland, the election shall be according to the principle of proportional representation, each elector having one transferable vote as defined by the Representation of the People Act, 1918, and His Majesty in Council shall have the same power of making regulations in respect thereto as he has under subsection (3) of section twenty of that Act and that subsection shall apply accordingly.