Parliamentary Elections Act 1868
The effect of the act was to transfer responsibility for trying election petitions from the House of Commons to the judges of the High Court of Justice.The act was designed to, and did, provide a more effective measure for preventing corruption and fraud in parliamentary elections.In his PhD thesis, Cornelius O'Leary described The Times as having reported "the testimony is unanimous that in the General Election of 1865 there was more profuse and corrupt expenditure than was ever known before".[4]: 27–28 When he came into office in 1867, Benjamin Disraeli announced that he would introduce a new method for election petition trials (which were then determined by a committee of the House of Commons).Disraeli proposed that this take the form of two assessors visiting the constituency and determining the outcome, with an appeal to the House of Commons which could appoint a select committee should it decide to take the matter up.
Parliament of the United KingdomLong titleCitation31 & 32 Vict.Benjamin DisraeliEngland and WalesScotlandIrelandRoyal assentStatute Law Revision Act 1875Repealed byStatute Law (Repeals) Act 1993election petitionsHouse of CommonsHigh Court of Justice1865 general electionCornelius O'LearyThe Timesroyal commissionselect committeeQueen's BenchLord Chief JusticeAlexander CockburnLord Chancellorelection courtLiberalAlexander Mitchellparliamentary privilegeWilliam GladstoneCourt of Common PleasExchequer of PleasCorrupt practicesCorrupt Practices Act 1695Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883List of UK parliamentary election petitionsReform ActsRepresentation of the People ActO'Leary, CorneliusOxford University PressRepresentation ofthe People ActsEngland and Wales, 1832Scotland, 1832Ireland, 1832England and Wales, 1867Scotland, 1868Ireland, 1868Scotland, 1833England and Wales, 1835Ireland, 1840Constituency reformParliamentary Boundaries Act 1832Parliamentary Boundaries (Ireland) Act 1832Redistribution of Seats Act 1885Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918Government of Ireland Act 1920House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1944House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1949Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020Ballot Act 1872European Assembly Elections Act 1978 (repealed)Registration of Political Parties Act 1998European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 (repealed)Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000Electoral Administration Act 2006Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (repealed)Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022Elections Act 2022ChartismUnreformed House of CommonsRotten and pocket boroughsUniversity constituencyWomen's suffrageHistoriography2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendumElections in the United KingdomBoundary commissionsParliament in the MakingParliamentary franchise (1885–1918)UK legislationList of English statutesCharter of LibertiesMagna CartaActs of parliaments1225–12671275–13071308–1325Temp. incert.1327–13761377–13971399–14111413–14211422–1460Petition of RightInterregnum (1642–1660)Habeas Corpus ActBill of RightsUnion with Scotland ActRescinded (1639–1651)Claim of RightUnion with England ActKingdom of Great BritainParliament of Ireland1169–11921200–12991300–13991400–14991500–15991600–16901691–17001701–17101711–17201721–17301731–17401741–17501751–17601761–17701771–17801781–17901791–1800Acts of ParliamentHalsbury's StatutesLegislation.gov.uk