Law Commission launches consultation on elections & referendums
The Law Commission has launched a consultation on the complex laws surrounding elections and referendums.
In the last century, there has been a huge increase in the number of elections and UK citizens are now asked to vote for a mayor, police and crime commissioner, councillors, MPs, MEPs, MSPs and Assembly Members (in Wales, London and Northern Ireland). Each of these elections adds another layer of laws.
The Law Commission is calling on voters and all those involved in managing the voting systems in the UK to tell it which areas of the legislative framework are not working and require review. It is likely to then launch proposals for reform following the 2014 elections.
Frances Patterson QC, Law Commissioner, says: “Elections are the principal mechanism by which citizens exercise their democratic rights. The price we pay as a democracy when the electoral process loses credibility is high and potentially catastrophic. An electorate that has no confidence in the process by which its democratic representatives are chosen may ultimately give no credence to the choices that are made. It is clear that electoral law is in need of reform.”
The Commission’s consultation is UK-wide, and its consultation paper, Electoral Law in the United Kingdom, is available on its website, at www.lawcom.gov.uk.
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