{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-1995/article-7",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-1995/article-7.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1995/971",
  "legislation_title": "The Justices of the Peace (Size and Chairmanship of Bench) Rules 1995",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/justices-of-the-peace-size-and-chairmanship-of-bench-rules-1995",
  "path": "article/7",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "7",
  "heading": "Conduct of ballot",
  "text": "(1) Except where rule 6(8) applies, a secret ballot shall be held for elections to the office of chairman and deputy chairman in accordance with the provisions of this rule.\n(2) Where the nomination procedure is being used, the justices' clerk shall prepare ballot papers which contain a list in alphabetical order of the justices nominated as chairman and the justices nominated as deputy chairman and shall hand to each justice present at the election meeting and eligible to vote one ballot paper for the election of chairman and one ballot paper for the election of deputy chairman.\n(3) Where the traditional procedure is being used, the chairman, or if for any reason he is prevented from doing so, the justices' clerk, shall decide which of the two variants of that procedure set out in this paragraph and paragraph (4) is to be employed and accordingly the justices' clerk shall either—\n(a) prepare ballot papers which shall contain a list, in alphabetical order, of all the justices in the petty sessions area and shall hand to each justice present at the election meeting and eligible to vote one ballot paper for the election of chairman and one ballot paper for the election of deputy chairman; or\n(b) (i) prepare the list referred to in (a) above and send a copy to each justice together with the notice of the election meeting and shall display copies at the election meeting;\n(ii) prepare two sets of ballot papers containing respectively the words “chairman” or “deputy chairman” or “deputy chairmen” (as the circumstances require); and\n(iii) hand to each justice present at the election meeting and eligible to vote one of each set of ballot papers.\n(4) Each justice who votes shall—\n(a) where paragraphs (2) or (3)(a) apply, place a mark on the appropriate ballot paper against the name of the justice he wishes to be chairman and the name or names of the justice or justices he wishes to be deputy chairman or deputy chairmen (as the case may be); or\n(b) where paragraph (3)(b) applies, write on the appropriate ballot paper the name of the justice he wishes to be chairman and the name or names of the justice or justices he wishes to be deputy chairman or deputy chairmen (as the case may be), opposite the appropriate description.\n(5) Immediately after each ballot has been closed the justices' clerk, assisted if need be by staff of the magistrates' courts committee whose area consists of or includes the petty sessions area, shall collect the ballot papers and count the votes.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/971/article/7",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T13:11:33.886678+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."
}