substantial d i s t o r t i o n o r subversion of t h e
p r o c e s s o f f r e e and f a i r e l e c t i o n . "
The p r i n c i p l e s w h i c h a r e a p p l i c a b l e t o t h e v o i d a n c e o f
P a r l i a m e n t a r y E l e c t i o n s a r e t h o s e e s t a b l i s h e d a t common l a w o v e r
100 y e a r s a g o a n d c o n v e n i e n t l y s t a t e d i n Woodward v . S a r s o n s ( 1 8 7 5 )
LR.
10 CP. 733.
Lord C o l e r i d g e C . J .
who r e a d t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e
C o u r t o f Common P l e a s w h i c h was p r e p a r e d by B r e t t J. s t a t c d t h c
common law r u l e a s f o l l o w s :
where t h e t r i b u n a l i s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e r e was n o r e a l
First,
e l e c t i n g a t a l l such a s :
(a)
" i f a m a j o r i t y o f t h e e l e c t o r s were proved
t o h a v e b e e n p r e v e n t e d from r e c o r d i n g
t h e i r votes e f f e c t i v e l y accordinq t o t h e i r
own p r e f e r e n c e s " o r
(b)
" i f t h e r e was r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d t o b e l i e v e
t h a t a m a j o r i t y o f t h e e l e c t o r s may h a v e
been p r e v e n t e d from e l e c t i n g t h e c a n d i d a t e
they preferred.
"
I t i s c l e a r f r o m t h e judgment t h a t i r r e g u l a r i t i e s w i l l n o t
e n t i t l e a t r i b u n a l t o d e c l a r e a n e l e c t i o n v o i d b y common law u n l e s s
t h e y a f f e c t t h e m a j o r i t y by w h i c h a c a n d i d a t e w a s c l c c t c d .
Second,
"where t h e e l e c t i o n was n o t r e a l l y c o n d u c t e d u n d e r t h e
s u b s i s t i n g e l e c t i o n laws.
The q u e s t i o n i s w h e t h e r t h e d e p a r t u r e
f r o m t h e p r e s c r i b e d method o f e l e c t i o n i s s o g r e a t t h a t t h e t r i b u n a l
i s s a t i s f i e d , a s a matter of f a c t t h a t t h e e l e c t i o n w a s n o t an
e l e c t i o n under t h e e x i s t i n g law."
The e x a m p l e g i v e n w o u l d b e a c a s e
w h e r e t h e l a w c a l l s f o r e l e c t i o n b y v o t i n g , b u t a c a n d i d a t e was
s e l e c t e d by t o s s i n g a c o i n o r by t h e r e s u l t o f a h o r s e r a c e .