44.- 1. The High Court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any question whether-

a. any person has been validly elected as a member of the House;

b. any person has been validly appointed as a Senator or as a temporary member of the Senate;

c. any person who has been elected as Speaker from among persons who were not members of the House was qualified to be so elected or has vacated the office of Speaker; or

d. any member of the House has vacated his seat or is required under the provisions of section 41(2) of this Constitution to cease to perform any of his functions as a member of the House.

2. Any application to the High Court for the determination of any question under subsection (1) (a) of this section may be made by any person entitled to vote in the election to which the application relates or by any person who was a candidate at that election or by the Attorney-General.

3. An application to the High Court for the determination of any question under subsection (1) (b) or subsection (1) (c) of this section may be made by any member of the House or by the Attorney-General.

4. An application to the High Court for the determination of any question under subsection (1) (d) of this section may be made-

a. by any member of the House or by the Attorney-General; or

b. in the case of the seat of a member of the House; by any person registered in some constituency as a voter for the purpose of electing members of the House.

5. If any application is made by a person other than the Attorney-General to the High Court for the determination of any question under this section, the Attorney-General may intervene and may then appear or be represented in the proceedings.

6. An appeal shall lie as of right to the Court of Appeal from any final decision of the High Court determining such a question as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section.

7. the circumstances and manner in which and the imposition of conditions upon which any application may be made to the High Court for the determination of any question under this section and the powers, practice and procedure of the High Court and the Court of Appeal in relation to any such application shall be regulated by such provision as may be made by Parliament.

8. No appeal shall lie from any decision of the Court of Appeal in exercise of the jurisdiction conferred by subsection (6) of this section and no appeal shall lie from any decision of the High Court in proceedings under this section other than a final decision determining such a question as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section.

9. In the exercise of his functions under this section the Attorney-General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.