m Report of the Commission on the Conduct of Referendums rn Contents TERMS OF REFERENCE AND COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 13 Proposed Referendums .................................................................................................................................................... 14 The Role of the Commission on the Conduct of Referendums ........................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 2: THE USE OF REFERENDUMS .......................................................................................................................... 17 Precedents ........................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Experience in the UK ........................................................................................................................................................ 19 Referendums and the UK Constitution ...................................................................................................................... 22 Not a Political Panacea ................................................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 3: THE FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................................................................. 25 The Need for Rules or Guidance ................................................................................................................................... 26 Organisation and Administration ............................................................................................................................. 26 Legislation ........................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Judicial Review ................................................................................................................................................................... 33 CHAPTER 4: THE POLICY DECISIONS .................................................................................................................................. 35 Mandatory or Advisory .................................................................................................................................................... 36 Pre- or Post-Legislative .................................................................................................................................................. 39 The Electorate ..................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Thresholds ............................................................................................................................................................................ 41 CHAPTER 5: THE QUESTION ....................................................................................................................................................45 Defining the Question ...................................................................................................................................................... 46 Wording the Question ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Preamble ............................................................................................................................................................................... 48 One- or Two-Stage Referendums ................................................................................................................................. 48 Multi-Option Referendums ........................................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 6: THE CAMPAIGN .................................................................................................................................................. 53 Campaign Duration ............................................................................................................................................................ 54 Public Information ............................................................................................................................................................ 55 Campaign Organisations .................................................................................................................................................57 Government Activity ........................................................................................................................................................ 60 Party Political Activity ..................................................................................................................................................... 61 The Broadcast Media ....................................................................................................................................................... 61 Other Media ........................................................................................................................................................................ 63 CONTENTS CHAPTER 7: THE POLL ................................................................................................................................................................. 65 Date and Hours .................................................................................................................................................................. 66 Organisation of the Poll ................................................................................................................................................... 67 Vote-Counting and Declaration of the Results ......................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 8: THE GUIDELINES ................................................................................................................................................ 71 The Framework ................................................................................................................................................................... 72 The Policy Decisions .......................................................................................................................................................... 73 The Question ........................................................................................................................................................................ 74 The Campaign ...................................................................................................................................................................... 74 The Poll .................................................................................................................................................................................. 76 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................ 76 APPENDIX A .................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 public Opinion and Referendums ................................................................................................................................. 78 APPENDIX B ..................................................................................................................................................................................81 International Use of Referendums ................................................................................................................................ 82 APPENDIX C ....................................................................................................................................................................................89 Initiating a Referendum .a Checklist ..........................................................................................................................90 APPENDIX D .................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 An Analysis of the Practical Arrangements for the 1975 Referendum .......................................................... 94 BlBLlOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................................................................. 99 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................................................................1.00 1 REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE CONDUCT OF REFERENDUMS Foreword Today there