{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1985/section-12",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1985/section-12.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1985/50",
  "legislation_title": "Representation of the People Act 1985",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/representation-of-the-people-act-1985",
  "path": "section/12",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "12",
  "heading": "Offences as to declarations, etc.",
  "text": "(1) A person who makes a relevant declaration or a declaration purporting to be a relevant declaration —\n(a) when he knows that he is subject to a legal incapacity to vote at parliamentary elections (age apart), or\n(b) when he knows that it contains a statement which is false,\nis guilty of an offence.\n(1A) In subsection (1) “relevant declaration” means—\n(a) an overseas elector’s declaration;\n(b) a renewal declaration (within the meaning given by section 1D(2)).\n(2) A person who attests an overseas elector’s declaration or a declaration purporting to be an overseas elector’s declaration when he knows—\n(a) that he is not authorised to attest such a declaration, or\n(b) that it contains a statement which is false,\nis guilty of an offence.\n(3) A person who makes a statement which he knows to be false in any declaration or form used for any of the purposes of sections 5 to 9 of this Act or attests an application under section 6 or 7 of this Act when he knows that he is not authorised to do so or that it contains a statement which is false is guilty of an offence.\n(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 12(1) substituted (16.1.2024) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 5(a) (with Sch. 7 para. 13); S.I. 2023/1405, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 12(1A) inserted (16.1.2024) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(1), Sch. 7 para. 5(b) (with Sch. 7 para. 13); S.I. 2023/1405, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 12 applied (E.W.S.) by S.I. 1986/2209, regs. 2, 3, 5(1)(6)–(8), Sch. 1 Pt. IIS. 12(3)(4) applied (with modifications) (25.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/1126, art. 6(1), Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 12 applied (with modifications) (1.8.2001) by S.I. 2001/2559, art. 3, Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(2) applied with modifications (S.) by S.I. 1986/1111, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(2) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/1091, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C5",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(2) applied with modifications (E.W.) by S.I. 1986/1081, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C6",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(2)(4) applied (with modifications) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/341, reg. 13(4)(5), Sch. 4 Pt. IIS. 12(1)(2)(4) applied (with modifications) (16.2.2001) by S.I. 2001/400, reg. 13(3)(4), Sch. 4 Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C7",
      "text": "S. 12(1)(2)(4) 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)(5), Sch. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C8",
      "text": "S. 12(4) applied with modifications (E.W.) by S.I. 1986/1081, regs. 2, 14(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. IIS. 12(3)(4) applied (with modifications) (31.7.1997) by 1997 c. 61, s. 3, Sch. 3 para. 13 Table 3S. 12(3)(4) applied (with modifications) (19.3.1998) by S.I. 1998/746, art. 12, Sch. 1 Table 3S. 12(3)(4) applied (with modifications) (22.5.1998) by S.I. 1998/1287, art. 3(1)(3), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C9",
      "text": "S. 12(3) applied (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, Sch. 1 Pt. III"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C10",
      "text": "S. 12(3)(4) 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(1)(2), Sch. 1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C11",
      "text": "S. 12(4) applied (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/2250, regs. 2, 3, Sch. 1 Pt. III"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C12",
      "text": "S. 12(4) applied with modifications (S.) by S.I. 1986/1111, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. II"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C13",
      "text": "S. 12(4) applied with modifications (N.I.) by S.I. 1986/1091, regs. 2, 13(3)(4)(5), Sch. 3 Pt. IIS. 12(3)(4) applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (4.5.1996) by S.I. 1996/1220, art.3(1)(a)(b)(5)-(8), Sch. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/50/section/12",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:00:04.396505+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."
}