Number of levels of adjudication

• Representation of the People Act 1983

Art. 144 Conclusion of trial of parliamentary election petition.

(1) Atthe conclusion of the trial of a parliamentary election petition, the electioncourt shall determine whether the member whose election or return is complainedof, or any and what other person, was duly returned or elected or whether theelection was void, and the determination so certified shall be final to allintents as to the matters at issue on the petition.

(2)The election court shall forthwith certify in writing the determination to theSpeaker.

(3) Ifthe judges constituting the election court (a) differ as to whether the memberwhose election or return is complained of was duly elected or returned, theyshall certify that difference and the member shall be deemed to be duly electedor returned; (b) determine that the member was not duly elected or returned butdiffer as to the rest of the determination, they shall certify that differenceand the election shall be deemed to be void.

(4)Where any charge is made in the petition of any corrupt or illegal practicehaving been committed at the election the court shall, in addition to giving acertificate, and at the same time, make a report to the Speaker as required bysections 158 and 160 below and also stating whether corrupt or illegalpractices have, or whether there is reason to believe that corrupt or illegalpractices have, extensively prevailed at the election.

(5)The election court may at the same time make a special report to the Speaker asto matters arising in the course of the trial an account of which in thejudgment of the court ought to be submitted to the House of Commons.

(6)Every report sent to the Speaker under this section shall be signed by bothjudges of the election court and if the judges differ as to the subject of thereport, they shall certify that difference and make no report on the subject onwhich they so differ.

(7)The House of Commons, on being informed by the Speaker of a certificate and anyreport of an election court, shall order the certificate and report (if any) tobe entered in their journals and shall give the necessary direction (a) forconfirming or altering the return, o (b) for issuing a writ for a new election,or (c) for carrying the determination into execution as the circumstances mayrequire, and where the court make a special report, the House of Commons maymake such order in respect of that report as they think proper.