{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senedd-cymru-representation-of-the-people-order-2025/article-51",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senedd-cymru-representation-of-the-people-order-2025/article-51.json",
  "legislation": "wsi/2025/864",
  "legislation_title": "The Senedd Cymru (Representation of the People) Order 2025",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/senedd-cymru-representation-of-the-people-order-2025",
  "path": "article/51",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "51",
  "heading": "Time for sending in and paying claims",
  "text": "(1) Every claim against an individual candidate or an individual candidate’s election agent in respect of election expenses which is not sent in to the election agent within 21 days after the day on which the result or results of the election are declared, will be barred and not paid.\n(2) All election expenses must be paid not later than 28 days after the day on which the result or results of the election are declared.\n(3) Any person who pays a claim in contravention of paragraph (1), or makes a payment in contravention of paragraph (2), is guilty of an illegal practice.\n(4) Where the election court reports that it has been proved to the court that any payment made in contravention of paragraph (1) was by an election agent without the consent or connivance of the individual candidate—\n(a) the candidate’s election will not be avoided, and\n(b) the candidate will not be subject to any incapacity under this Order by reason only of that payment having been made in contravention of this article.\n(5) A relevant person may apply either to the High Court or to the county court for leave to pay a claim for any election expenses which would otherwise be barred by paragraph (1) on either of the grounds set out in paragraph (6).\n(6) The grounds are—\n(a) the claim was sent in after the period of 21 days, or\n(b) the claim was sent in to an individual candidate and not to the election agent.\n(7) For the purposes of paragraphs (5) and (8), a relevant person is—\n(a) a claimant,\n(b) an individual candidate, or\n(c) an individual candidate’s election agent.\n(8) Where a relevant person applies to a court under paragraph (5), the court may, by order, grant leave for the claim to be paid where they are satisfied there is cause to do so.\n(9) Any sum specified in the order of leave under paragraph (8) may be paid by an individual candidate or the candidate’s election agent, and when paid in pursuance of the leave will not be deemed to be in contravention of paragraph (2).",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in art. 51(2) substituted (24.3.2026) by The Representation of the People (Absent Voting and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (W.S.I. 2026/91), regs. 1(2), 41(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Art. 51 in force at 18.7.2025, see art. 1(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2025/864/article/51",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T22:57:06.457930+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."
}