# The National Assembly for Wales (Representation of the People) Order 2003, Paragraph 14: Decisions as to validity of party nomination papers and as to the validity of nominations included on a party list


(1) At a regional election a party list candidate shall be deemed to stand nominated where a party nomination paper by which he is nominated and his consent to nomination are delivered and a deposit is made in accordance with this Schedule; and such candidate shall be deemed to stand nominated unless and until—
(a) the regional returning officer decides that the nomination paper is invalid,
(b) proof is given to the regional returning officer’s satisfaction of the candidate’s death, or
(c) the candidate withdraws.
(2) The regional returning officer is entitled to hold a party nomination paper invalid only on one of the following grounds—
(a) that it breaches paragraph 7(2),
(b) that it breaches paragraph 8(1) or 8(3),
(c) that it is not subscribed as so required,
(d) that the party list includes more than twelve persons, or
(e) each candidate included on the party list has ceased to stand nominated.
(3) Where, in respect of a party list candidate—
(a) proof is given to the regional returning officer’s satisfaction of his death, or
(b) he withdraws,
he shall cease to stand nominated, or
(i) his particulars are not as required by law,
(ii) he is disqualified by the Representation of the People Act 1981 (as applied by the 1998 Act), or
(iii) he falls within section 5(5) of the 1998 Act,
the regional returning officer is entitled to hold that the candidate shall cease to stand nominated.
(4) Where a candidate ceases to stand nominated by virtue of sub-paragraph (3) it shall not of itself prevent any other candidate included on the party list from continuing to stand nominated.
(5) Subject to sub-paragraph (6), the regional returning officer shall give his decision on any objection to a party nomination paper or to a party list candidate as soon as practicable after it is made.
(6) If in the regional returning officer’s opinion a party nomination paper breaches paragraph 7(2), 8(1) or 8(3), he shall give a decision to that effect as soon as practicable after the close of the period for delivery of nomination papers set out in the Table in paragraph 1(1).
(7) Where the regional returning officer decides that—
(a) a party nomination paper is invalid, or
(b) a party list candidate shall cease to stand nominated,
he shall endorse and sign on the paper the fact and reasons for his decision.
(8) The regional returning officer’s decision that—
(a) a party nomination paper is valid, or
(b) a party list candidate shall continue to stand nominated,
shall be final and shall not be questioned in any proceeding whatsoever.
(9) Subject to sub-paragraph (8), nothing in this paragraph prevents the validity of a nomination being questioned on an election petition.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/284/schedule/5/paragraph/14 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/national-assembly-for-wales-representation-of-the-people-order-2003/schedule-5/paragraph-14
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.