The United Kingdom's Law Commission, an independent reform advisory body, has forwarded to the government its proposals to modernize national electoral laws, a report published on Tuesday revealed
LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2020) The United Kingdom's Law Commission, an independent reform advisory body, has forwarded to the government its proposals to modernize national electoral laws, a report published on Tuesday revealed.
The proposal includes the introduction of online campaign advertising regulations as well as increased prison terms for electoral fraud and provisions to streamline disputes.
According to the commission, the proposals are aimed at modernizing some archaic aspects of the UK's electoral law, which has remained largely unchanged since the 19th century.
"Elections are fundamental to democracy yet the laws governing them are no longer fit for purpose. If left as they are, there is a very real risk of the electoral process losing credibility which could be catastrophic," Public Law Commissioner Nicholas Paines QC was quoted as saying in the report.
The commission noted that the last time the electoral laws were significantly updated was in 1983 and that those amendments have no framework to organize and regulate online political advertising.
The system of classifying ads between nationwide or locally focused at a specific regional electorate was not successfully translated into the online format.
The Electoral Commission welcomed the proposals and called on the government to pass the draft proposals into law.
"The Law Commissions' recommendations are comprehensive and have widespread support from electoral administrators ... I very much hope the UK's governments and parliaments will now work towards a consolidated and consistent legislative framework that will improve our electoral processes for all involved," Sir John Holmes, the chair of the Electoral Commission, said in the report.
The documents have been sent to the Cabinet Office for review and approval by the UK's executive branch before it is set to be discussed on the parliament floor in London.
Neither the Cabinet Office nor Downing Street 10 have yet released any statements regarding the proposals.
