127Determination of application for registration as third-party campaigner

127 Determination of application for registration as third-party campaigner

(1)  If the Commission receives an application under section 126 for registration of a person as a third-party campaigner in relation to an Assembly election, the Commission may –

(a) register the person, in the Register of Third-party Campaigners in relation to the election, as a third-party campaigner in relation to the election; or

(b) refuse to register the person, in the Register of Third-party Campaigners in relation to the election, as a third-party campaigner in relation to the election.

(2)  The Commission must not register a person as a third-party campaigner in relation to an Assembly election if the application for registration was received by the Commission after the beginning of the period of 7 days before the polling day for the election.

(3)  Without limiting subsection (1) , the Commission may refuse under that subsection to register a person as a third-party campaigner in relation to an election if the Commission believes on reasonable grounds that any particulars in the person’s application for registration are incomplete or not correct, but may, if the Commission thinks fit, register the person despite any such defect.

(4)  If the Commission, under subsection (1) , refuses to register a person as a third-party campaigner in relation to an election the Commission is, as soon as reasonably practicable, to notify the official agent in relation to the third-party campaigner of the refusal and of the reasons for the refusal.

(5)  If the Commission, under subsection (1) , refuses, on the grounds referred to in subsection (3) , to register a person as a third-party campaigner –

(a) the official agent in relation to the third-party campaigner may, within 30 days after the date of the notification under subsection (4) by the Commission, amend the application for registration by substituting the relevant particulars; and

(b) the amended application is taken to have been received by the Commission when the original application was received by it.