{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-professions-council-election-scheme-rules-order-of-council-2004/schedule/paragraph-16",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-professions-council-election-scheme-rules-order-of-council-2004/schedule/paragraph-16.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2004/3318",
  "legislation_title": "The Health Professions Council (Election Scheme) Rules Order of Council 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/health-professions-council-election-scheme-rules-order-of-council-2004",
  "path": "schedule/paragraph/16",
  "kind": "paragraph",
  "number": "16",
  "heading": "Validity of Election",
  "text": "(1) The certificate of the Returning Officer under rule 11 shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated in it unless in respect of the election of any person a written notice of protest signed by not less than twenty-five electors registered in that part of the register to which the election relates is received by the Returning Officer within twenty-eight days of that certificate being presented to the Council.\n(2) A protest may be made on one or more of the following grounds—\n(a) that the election of that person was not in accordance with the requirements of these Rules;\n(b) that the election of that person was furthered by conduct which, if the election was regulated by the Representation of the People Act 1983, would be a corrupt practice by way of bribery, treating or undue influence under sections 113, 114 and 115 of that Act (bribery, treatment and undue influence); or\n(c) that the person elected contravened the expenditure limit specified in rule 14 or failed to make a return of election expenses in accordance with rule 15.\n(3) If any candidate who is appointed in accordance with rule 12 fails to submit a return of election expenses in accordance with rule 15, or if a return submitted under that rule indicates that expenditure has been incurred in excess of that authorised under rule 14, the Returning Officer shall make a report on the matter to the Council.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1983 c. 2."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3318/schedule/paragraph/16",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T05:13:14.122788+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}