Electoral Law

A new statutory and independent Electoral Commission will be established under new legislation announced yesterday. The Electoral Reform Bill will bring about major modernisation of the electoral system, the government said, as well as aiming to increase voter engagement and participation through a

The UK Conservative Party has been fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission following a scandal over the refurbishment of the prime minister's residence. The party failed to accurately report a donation and keep a proper accounting record following an investigation into how the refurbishment

The High Court has dismissed a challenge to the constitutionality of the voting system for the Seanad by a graduate of the University of Limerick. The plaintiff claimed that it was unconstitutional that graduates from the University of Dublin (TCD) and the National University of Ireland (NUI) could

Plans to reform electoral laws to prevent political parties from having their social media accounts managed from outside of Ireland could be "unworkable", the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has suggested. According to the Irish Independent, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will ask his Cab

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has settled a case against the Northern Ireland Office over the requirement for local election candidates to disclose their home address. The human rights watchdog launched proceedings in February 2020 on behalf of Máiría Cahill, who

Legislative proposals to reform the electoral process, including by establishing an Electoral Commission for Ireland, regulating online advertising and amending the law to reflect Covid-19 restrictions, have been published. The general scheme of the Electoral Reform Bill, described as the "most sign

Controversial proposals to redraw constituency boundaries for Westminster elections in Northern Ireland have been quashed after a legal challenge from a Belfast resident. The Court of Appeal found that the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland had misapplied the law, failed to give adequate reaso

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has brought High Court proceedings aimed at allowing the vote in the Tipperary constituency in this Saturday's general election to go ahead. The ballot in Tipperary was called into question following the death of independent candidate Marese Skehan earlier this week.

Former SDLP councillor Máiría Cahill has been granted leave by the High Court in Belfast to challenge the requirement for local election candidates to disclose their home address. Ms Cahill, who is supported in her case by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), withdrew

A challenge to the redrawing of electoral constituencies in Northern Ireland will be heard by the Court of Appeal in Belfast tomorrow. Proposals published by the Boundary Commission last year would see the number of parliamentary seats in Northern Ireland cut from 18 to 17, as part of a broader redu

The Electoral Commission should be given the power to initiate prosecutions at both national and local levels, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended. The proposal is one of 20 recommendations set out in a new report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on electoral campaigning transparen

The High Court in Belfast will hand down its ruling on Monday on a legal challenge to the requirement for local and European election candidates to disclose their home address. Former SDLP councillor Máiría Cahill, who is supported by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC

Draft legislation to hold a referendum on allowing Irish citizens abroad and in Northern Ireland to vote in presidential elections has been submitted to the Dáil. The Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Presidential Elections) Bill 2019 provides for a referendum to amend article 12 of

The Standards in Public Office Commission has called for a "full legislative review" of electoral legislation to ensure it is fit for the 21st century. The ethics watchdog warned that the Electoral Act 1997 is "now over 20 years old and requires modernisation".

A sitting councillor has been forced to withdraw from next month's local government elections after refusing to publicly disclose her home address. Candidates for local government do not have the option of withholding their home address, even though candidates for Northern Ireland Assembly and UK Pa