Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act, 1883

Officially titled "An Act for the better prevention of Corrupt and Illegal Practices at Parliamentary Elections", the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Act (1883) criminalised attempts to bribe voters, with more severe fines and in some cases imprisonment set as punishment. The act also standardised the amount of money that could be spent on election expenses and what expenses could be spent on.

Any candidate found guilty of corruption could not stand for election for a further 7 years and could never stand in the same constituency again. As a result of this Act the average election expenditure of candidates fell significantly and allegations of illegal acts during elections also declined.