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Electoral Act 1993

Election petitions

232: Security for costs

You could also call this:

"You must promise to pay costs when making an election complaint"

Illustration for Electoral Act 1993

When you present an election petition, you must give security for costs within a certain time. This means you have to promise to pay for any costs that might come up because of your petition, like paying witnesses or respondents. You have to do this when you present your petition or within three days after the time to present it has ended.

You can give security by promising to pay $1,000 to the Crown, and you can do this with the help of up to five sureties, or by depositing money, or a combination of both. The Registrar of the court has to be satisfied with the security you give.

If you do not give security as required, your petition will not be able to proceed any further.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM310434.

Topics:
Government and voting > Elections
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Part 8Election petitions

232Security for costs

  1. At the time of presenting an election petition or within 3 days after the expiration of the time limited for the presentation of the petition, the petitioner shall give security to the satisfaction of the Registrar of the court for all costs that may become payable by the petitioner to any witness summoned on the petitioner’s behalf or to any respondent.

  2. The security shall be an amount of $1,000, and shall be given by recognisance to the Crown entered into by any number of sureties not exceeding 5 or by a deposit of money, or partly in one way and partly in the other.

  3. If no security is given as required by this section, no further proceedings shall be taken on the petition.