{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-52",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983/section-52.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/2",
  "legislation_title": "Representation of the People Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1983",
  "path": "section/52",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "52",
  "heading": "Discharge of registration duties.",
  "text": "(1) A registration officer shall comply with any general or special directions which may be given by the Secretary of State with respect to the arrangements to be made by the registration officer for carrying out his functions under this Act.\n(1A) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, the directions which may be given under subsection (1) include directions requiring a registration officer to maintain his registers in a specified electronic form; and any such directions may in particular specify—\n(a) the software which is to be used in connection with the maintenance of the registers in that form;\n(b) the standards in accordance with which that software is to be maintained and updated;\n(c) how information required (by or under any enactment) to be included in the registers is to be recorded and stored in that form.\n(2) Any of the duties and powers of a registration officer may be performed and exercised by any deputy for the time being approved . . . , by the council which appointed the registration officer, and the provisions of this Act apply to any such deputy so far as respects any duties or powers to be performed or exercised by him as they apply to the registration officer.\n(3) In England and Wales, any acts authorised or required to be done by or with respect to the registration officer may, in the event of his incapacity to act or of a vacancy, be done by the proper officer of the council by or with respect to whom the registration officer was appointed.\n(4) It shall be the duty—\n(a) in England . . ., of a district council or London borough council,\n(aa) in Wales, of a county or county borough council, and\n(b) in Scotland, of every local authority,\nto assign such officers to assist the registration officer as may be required for carrying out his functions under this Act.\n(5) Subsection (2) above does not apply in Northern Ireland but sections 14(5) and 14A(2) and (3) of the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 (appointment of temporary deputy and delegation to assistants) shall have effect in relation to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland in his capacity as registration officer.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 17(1) substituted (29.1.2001 for certain purposes and 16.2.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 2, s. 8(a), Sch. 1 para. 10; S.I. 2001/116, art. 2(1)(2) (with art. 2(4))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words substituted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 12(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 52(1A) inserted (16.2.2001) by 2000 c. 41, s. 158(1), Sch. 21 para. 6(5) (with s. 156(6)); S.I. 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words repealed by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), ss. 24, 28, Sch. 4 para. 12(b), Sch. 5"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words inserted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 12(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "S. 52(4)(5) substituted by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 24, Sch. 4 para. 12(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 52(4)(a) repealed (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6)(8), Sch. 16 para. 68(12), Sch. 18 (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1996/396, art. 4, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "S. 52(4)(aa) substituted (1.4.1996) for word by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(6), Sch. 16 para. 68(12) (with ss. 54(4)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1996/396, art. 4, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 52(4)(b) substituted (S.) (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 130(5); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1962 c.14 (N.I.)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 52 applied with modifications (S.) by S.I. 1986/1111, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 52 applied with modifications (E.W.) by S.I. 1986/1081, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I (which S.I. was revoked (23.3.2004) by S.I. 2004/294, reg. 3)S. 52 applied (with modifications) (23.7.2004) by The Regional Assembly and Local Government Referendums Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1962), art. 6(2), Sch. 2 Pt. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (17.2.1994) by S.I. 1994/342, regs. 1(2)(3), 2(2), 8(2)(3)S. 52 applied (with modifications) (E.W.) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/341, reg. 13(4)(5), Sch. 4 Pt. IS. 52 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/400, reg. 13(3)(4), Sch. 4 Pt. IS. 52 applied (with modifications) (9.4.2001) by S.I. 2001/1184, reg. 9, Sch. Pt. I (as substituted (17.3.2009) by S.I. 2009/726, regs. 1(1), 2(3)(4), Sch.)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (1.7.2008) by The Representation of the People (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1741), reg. 14(3)(4), Sch. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (with modifications) (S.) (8.8.2013) by Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Act 2013 (asp 13), ss. 6, 13(1), sch. 1 Pts. 1, 2 (with s. 13(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (with modifications) (27.3.2007) by The Local Authorities (Mayoral Elections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1024), Sch. 2 Table 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 52 applied (with modifications) (26.2.2016) by The European Union Referendum (Conduct) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/219), reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 9 (with Sch. 1 para. 1(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 52(1) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 52(1) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/1091, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. IS. 52(1) amended (16.2.2001) by 2000 c. 41, s. 8(1) (with s. 156(6)); S.I. 2001/222, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. I (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 1 Pt. II)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C11",
      "text": "S. 52(1)-(4) applied (E.W.) (3.8.2012) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), regs. 1, 13(3)(l)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C12",
      "text": "S. 52(1)-(4) applied (with modifications) by The Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/2031), reg. 17, Sch. 8 Table 1 (as inserted (E.W.) (6.4.2013) by S.I. 2013/798, regs. 1, 7, Sch. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C13",
      "text": "S. 52 extended in part (26.2.2016) by The European Union Referendum (Conduct) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/219), reg. 1, Sch. 1 para. 3 (with Sch. 1 para. 1(3))"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C14",
      "text": "S. 52(5) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, 5, Sch. 1 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C15",
      "text": "S. 52(5) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/1091, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. I"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C16",
      "text": "S. 52(5) applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by S.I. 1996/1220, art. 3(1)(b)(5)-(8), Sch. 1S. 52(5) applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2599, art. 3, Sch. 1 (as substituted (10.2.2009) by S.I. 2009/256, arts. 1(2), 3, Sch. 1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/2/section/52",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-07T03:33:48.049414+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."
}