New South Wales Consolidated Acts

CONSTITUTION ACT 1902 - SECT 22D

22D Filling of casual vacancies in seats of Members of Legislative Council by joint sitting of both Houses

(1) Whenever--

(a) a vacancy occurs in the seat of a Member of the Legislative Council otherwise than by reason of section 22B (1) (c), or

(b) a vacancy occurs in the seat of a Member of the Legislative Council by reason of section 22B (1) (c) and that vacancy is not filled by reason that insufficient Members of the Legislative Council are elected at the periodic Council election next following the occurrence of the vacancy,

the Governor, by message to both Houses of Parliament, shall convene a joint sitting of the Members of the Legislative Assembly and the Members of the Legislative Council to be held at a place and time specified in the message for the purpose of the election of a person to fill the vacant seat.

(2) A person may not be nominated at any such joint sitting for election to fill a vacant seat of an elected Member of the Legislative Council if he is not eligible to be so nominated under subsection (3) or, if applicable, subsection (4).

(3) A person is not eligible to be so nominated if, were he a Member of the Legislative Council, he would be disqualified from sitting or voting as such a Member.

(4) Where--

(a) a Member of the Legislative Council was elected at a periodic Council election and was, at the time of his election, publicly recognised by a particular political party as being an endorsed candidate of that party and publicly represented himself to be such a candidate, and

(b) the vacancy (not being a vacancy referred to in subsection (1) (b)) to be filled is in the seat of that Member or of the successor (whether immediate, intermediate or ultimate) of that Member,

a person is not eligible to be so nominated unless he is a member of that party, except where there is no member of that party available to be so nominated.

(5) This section does not apply to or in respect of a vacancy that occurs by reason that a periodic Council election is declared void in accordance with law.