Corrupt practices in English election law includes bribery, treating, undue influence, personation, and aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring personation. English election law Corrupt practices were created in United Kingdom common law through the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act 1854, although statutes for the prevention of specific offences had been passed in 1416, 1695, 1729, 1809, 1827, 1829, and 1842. The Act was supplemented, modified, amended or extended by later legislation, for example the Parliamentary Elections Act 1868 and the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883. Offences Corrupt practices are now defined by the Representation of the People Act 1983 and include: personation, defined as pretending to be another person (whether living, dead or fictitious) in order to vote in their name applying for a postal vote in the name of another person, or diverting the delivery of a postal vote form giving false information in the papers nominating a candidate incurring unlawful expenses in connection with an election campaign, or making a false declaration regarding election expenses bribing voters to vote or not to vote (with money, or other valuable items) treating, defined as giving or offering food, drink or entertainment to a voter in order to influence their vote exerting undue influence on a voter through threats (including threats of "spiritual injury" as well as physical injury, damage or harm), whether to influence their vote or as a result of their voting The result of an election can be challenged on the grounds that corrupt practices have taken place by the presentation of an election petition to the courts within the period of 21 days after the date of the election. If the election court which hears the petition determines that a corrupt practice has taken place, it issues a report finding the relevant individuals guilty. A candidate may be reported as personally guilty if they were directly involved with the corrupt practice, or if it was committed with their knowledge or consent. A candidate may also be reported as "guilty by his agents" where his election agent or those working on his campaign commit corrupt practices. Punishment The punishments for corrupt practices fall into two broad categories: non-criminal sanctions, and criminal punishments. The reporting, by an election court, of a person as guilty of a corrupt practice renders them immediately liable to the non-criminal sanctions, and they may additionally be prosecuted and subjected to the criminal punishments (but