What penalties are envisioned for offences related to obstructing the electoral process?

Representation Of The People Act, Chapter 9, Revised Edition(2000-12-31)

PART VII

Offences

Article 22 -44.

PART IX

Miscellaneous

67. Generalpenalty.

Any person whois guilty of an offence under this Act or any rules or regulations madehereunder for which no penalty has been prescribed shall on summary convictionbe liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for aperiod not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and period ofimprisonment.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission,

http://www.elections.gov.bz/modules/article_publish/files/files_4918e57ec592d.pdf as retrieved on2013-12-11

Representation Of The People Act, Chapter 9, Revised Edition(2000-12-31)

PART VII

Offences

22. Chiefoccupant to furnish information. Forgery, etc., of identification card.

-(1) Where theChief Elections Officer or a registering officer requires any chief occupant oroccupier of any premises of which he is in charge to give information requiredby him for the performance of his function under this Act or any rules madehereunder, and where that occupant or occupier wilfully fails to give theinformation required from him, or gives information which he knows to be false,or which he does not believe to be true, he is guilty of an offence.

(2) A personwho without reasonable excuse fails to obey any request or summons made orissued to him to be present at the inquiry into any application or objection isguilty of an offence.

(3) A personwho without reasonable excuse neglects, fails or refuses to return theidentification card of himself or any other person when directed to do so byany registering officer or the Chief Elections Officer, within the time giventherefor in the direction, is guilty of an offence.

(4) A personwho without lawful authority forges, destroys, mutilates, defaces, removes ormakes any alteration in-

(a) an unused completed, incomplete or cancelled registration record card orany duplicate of the same; or

(b) a certificate as to registration; or

(c) an identification card; or

(d) any other documents published or prescribed under this Act, is guilty ofan offence.

(5) Any person who isguilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousanddollars or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or to both suchfine and period of imprisonment.

28.-Restriction on sale of intoxicating liquor.

(1) Subject tosubsection (2), every person who is the holder of any liquor licence grantedunder the provisions of any Act authorising the sale of intoxicating liquor inany premises maintained solely for that purpose shall take all necessary stepsto cause such premises to be closed to the public upon election day between thehour appointed for the opening of the poll and the hour appointed for theclosing of the poll.

(2) Everyperson who is the holder of any hotel licence, special hotel licence,restaurant licence or licence to sell liquor in any premises not solelymaintained for that purpose, granted under the provisions of any Actauthorizing the sale of intoxicating liquor shall take all necessary steps toprevent the sale of intoxicating liquor at any time upon election day betweenthe hour appointed for the opening of the poll and the hour appointed for theclosing of the poll.

(3) Any person whocontravenes this section is guilty of an offence punishable on summaryconviction with a fine notexceeding two hundred and fifty dollars or with imprisonment for a term notexceeding six months.

29.- Employersto allow employee the prescribed period for voting.

(1) Everyemployer shall, on polling day, allow to every voter in his employ a reasonabletime during the prescribed period for voting, and no employer shall make anydeduction from the pay or other remuneration of any such voter or impose uponor exact from him any penalty by reason of his absence during such period.

(2) Any employer who,directly or indirectly refuses to grant, or by intimidation, undue influence orin any other way, interferes with the granting of reasonable time to any voterin his employ during the prescribed period of voting as in this sectionprovided, shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or toimprisonment for a period not exceeding one year.

31.-Loudspeakers, ensigns, banners, etc., prohibited on polling day.

 (1) No person shall furnish or supply anyloudspeaker, bunting, ensign, banner, standard or set of colours, or any flag,other than the national flag, to any person with intent that it shall becarried, worn or used as political propaganda, on polling day, and no personshall, with any such intent, carry, wear or use, any such loudspeaker, bunting,ensign, banner, standard or set of colours, or any flag, other than thenational flag, on polling day.

(2) No personshall furnish or supply any flag, ribbons, label or like favour to or for anyperson with intent that it be worn or used by any person within any division onpolling day, as a party badge to distinguish the wearer as the supporter of anycandidate, or of the political or other opinions entertained or supposed to beentertained by such candidate, and no person shall use or wear any flag,ribbon, label, or other favour, as such badge, within any division on pollingday.

(3) Nothingcontained in either subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section shall bedeemed to extend to the furnishing or supplying of any banner bearing only thename of any candidate or any political party or only such name preceded by thewords “Vote for” or similar words or of any rosette or to the use of any suchbanner on any vehicle or of any such rosette.

(4) No personshall on polling day do any of the following acts within any division in whicha poll is being taken-

(a) organise, hold or participate in any meeting, or organise, lead orparticipate in any procession, of five or more persons;

(b) accost, or solicit or canvass his vote from any elector who has alreadyjoined the line of voters waiting to vote at any polling station.

(5) Any person whocontravenes any of the provisions of this section shall be liable on summaryconviction to a fine notexceeding two hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment for any term notexceeding six mont

37. Penalty forcertain illegal practices at election.

Every personwho-

(a) votes or induces, or procures any person to vote, at any election,knowing that he or that person is prohibited by this Act, or by any law inforce, from voting at that election; or b) before or during any election,knowingly publishes any false statement of the withdrawal of a candidate at theelection for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of anothercandidate; or

(c) before or during any election, for the purpose of affecting the returnof any candidate at such election, makes or publishes any false statement offact in relation to the personal character or conduct of such candidate; or

(d) between the date of notification by the Chief Elections Officer of theissue by the Governor-General of a writ for the purposes of an election and theday after polling at such election, whether in a general election or in aby-election, acts in a disorderly manner with intent to prevent the transactionof the business of a public meeting called for the purpose of promoting theelection of a candidate as a member to serve in the House