Electoral Reform Act 2022

Appointment of authorised officers

128. (1) The Commission may at any time appoint in writing such and so many persons, including members of the staff of the Commission or other suitably qualified persons, as it considers appropriate to be authorised officers for the purpose of the performance by the Commission of any of its functions under this Part.

(2) An authorised officer shall, on his or her appointment, be furnished by the Commission with a warrant of his or her appointment, and shall, when exercising a power conferred by this Part, if requested by any person affected, produce the warrant of appointment to that person for inspection.

(3) The Commission may revoke in writing any appointment made by it under subsection (1), whether or not the appointment was for a fixed period.

(4) An appointment of an authorised officer under this section shall cease—

(a) if it is revoked in writing by the Commission,

(b) if it is for a fixed period, on the expiry of that period, or

(c) if the person appointed is a member of the staff of the Commission, when that person ceases to be a member of staff of the Commission.

(5) Where the Commission is satisfied that an authorised officer or other member of the staff of the Commission has discharged his or her duties in pursuance of the functions of the Commission under this Part in good faith, the Commission may, in the manner and to the extent and subject to the terms and conditions that the Commission may determine from time to time in consultation with the Minister, indemnify the authorised officer or other member of staff against all actions or claims however they arise in respect of the discharge by him or her of his or her duties.

(6) A person who falsely represents himself or herself to be an authorised officer shall be guilty of an offence.

(7) In this section, “suitably qualified person” means any person (other than a member of the staff of the Commission) who, in the opinion of the Commission, has the qualifications and experience or expertise necessary to exercise the powers conferred on an authorised officer under this Part.