Contents Foreword . ...................................................................................................... III Preface ........................................................................................................... V Acknowledgements ...................................................................................... VII Acronyms and abbreviations . ..................................................................... XV Chapter 1. Introduction . .............................................................................. 1. The importance and role of electoral justice .................................... 2. The need to design an appropriate electoral justice system .......... 3. The objectives of Electoral Justice: The International IDEA Handbook . ............................................................................................ 1 1 4 Chapter 2. Electoral justice and other related concepts ......................... 1. The notion of electoral justice ............................................................ 2. Upholding electoral rights .................................................................. a) What are electoral rights and where are they established? ....... b) The means for defending electoral rights .................................... 3. Electoral justice systems and the electoral cycle . ........................... 9 9 12 12 16 18 Chapter 3. Prevention of electoral disputes ............................................. 1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 2. An appropriate legal framework ........................................................ 3. Development of a political culture and civic education .................. 4. Political consensus on the composition of the EMB and of the EDRB ........................................................................................... 5. The performance of the EMB and the EDRB: professionalism, functional independence and commitment to democratic principles . ................................................................................................. 6. Electoral codes of conduct ................................................................. 23 23 24 25 Chapter 4. EDR mechanisms ....................................................................... 1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 2. The regime for bringing electoral challenges: annulling, modifying or acknowledging the irregularity . ................................. 3. The regime of electoral liabilities: imposing sanctions . ................. a) Electoral criminal law . .................................................................... b) Criteria for codifying electoral crimes or offences . .................... c) Examples of electoral crimes and offences ................................. d) Authorities in charge of handling electoral crimes and offences ............................................................................................ e) Administrative sanctions for electoral infractions ...................... 5 26 27 30 37 37 39 40 43 43 45 47 48 IX