Architects (Registration) Act 1931
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
Architects (Registration) Act, 1931
(21 & 22 Geo. 5.) CHAPTER 33.
An Act to provide for the registration of architects and for purposes connected therewith.
[31st July 1931]
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Short title.
1. This Act may be cited as theArchitects (Registration) Act, 1931.
2 Interpretation.
2. In this Act unless the context otherwise requires—
The expression ‘the Council’ means the Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom established for the purposes of this Act.
The expression ‘registered person’ means a person registered under this Act.
The expression ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by regulations made by the Council under this Act.
The expression ‘the Register’ means the Register kept in pursuance of this Act.
3 Constitution and general functions of Registration Council.
(1) For the purposes of this Act there shall be established an Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom (in this Act referred to as ‘the Council’) which shall be a body corporate by that name, with perpetual succession and a common seal and power to acquire and hold land without licence in mortmain.
(2) The provisions contained in the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the constitution and proceedings of the Council. The seal of the Council shall be authenticated in manner prescribed by the Council, and any document purporting to be sealed with the seal so authenticated shall be receivable as evidence of the particulars stated in that document.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Council within six months from the commencement of this Act to set up and thereafter maintain a register to be called ‘the Register of Registered Architects’ and to cause to be entered therein the name and address of every person entitled to be registered under this Act, and to cause to be removed therefrom—
(a ) the names of all registered persons who have made application to the Council in the prescribed manner, requesting the Council to remove their names from the Register; and
(b ) the names of all registered persons who shall have died and any names or particulars inaccurately entered in the Register;
and from time to time to cause to be made any necessary alterations therein.
(4) The Council shall not later than twenty-seven months from the commencement of this Act and annually thereafter publish and offer for sale at the prescribed price copies of the Register, setting forth the names of the registered persons in alphabetical order according to their surnames, with their respective regular business addresses, and a copy of the Register certified by order of the Council or by any officer of the Council duly authorised in that behalf, to be a correct copy, shall be prima facie evidence that any person named therein is registered in accordance with the provisions of this Act: Provided always that in the case of a person whose name does not appear on such copy, a certificate under the hand of any officer of the Council, duly authorised in that behalf, of the entry of the name of such person in the Register, shall be prim facie evidence that such person is registered in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Such certificate shall remain the property of the Council and be surrendered by the holder to the Council upon publication of the name in or upon removal of the name from the Register.
If the holder refuses so to surrender such certificate to the council on demand, he shall on summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.
4 Officers and servants of Council.
4. The Council shall from time to time appoint such officers and servants as shall be necessary for the purposes of this Act and may assign to such officers and servants such duties as the Council shall consider desirable for the purposes of this Act, and every person so appointed shall be removable by the Council, and shall be paid by the Council such salary, emoluments and benefits as the Council may think fit.
5 Board of Architectural Education and Admission Committee.
(1) For the purposes of this Act there shall be appointed annually by the Council—
(a ) a board of architectural education (in this Act referred to as ‘the Board’) constituted in accordance with the Second Schedule to this Act; and
(b ) a committee (in this Act referred to as ‘the Admission Committee’) constituted in accordance with the Third Schedule to this Act.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Board to recommend to the Council—
(a ) the recognition of any examinations in architecture the passing of which ought, in the opinion of the Board, to qualify persons for registration under this Act; and
(b ) the holding of any examinations in architecture which ought, in the opinion of the Board, to be passed by applicants for registration under this Act;
and to hold examinations in architecture in accordance with this Act.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Admission Committee to consider every application for registration under this Act and to report thereon to the Council as to whether or not the applicant is, in the opinion of the Committee, qualified for registration.
6 Qualifications for registration.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person shall, on application made to the Council in the prescribed manner and on payment of the prescribed fee, be entitled to be registered under this Act, if the Council are satisfied on a report of the Admission Committee—
(a ) that he is an architect member of the Royal Academy or of the Royal Scottish Academy; or
(b ) that his application for registration was made within two years from the commencement of this Act and that at the commencement of this Act he was, or had been, practising as an architect in the United Kingdom; or
(c ) that he has passed any examination in architecture which is for the time being recognised by the Council; or
(d ) that he possesses the prescribed qualifications.
(2) The Council shall cause a written notice of their decision on any application for registration to be served on the applicant within the prescribed period after the date of decision.
(3) Where the Board recommend to the Council the recognition of any examination in architecture, the Council shall recognise that examination for the purpose of paragraph (c ) of subsection (1) of this section.
(4) For the purpose of paragraph (d ) of subsection (1) of this section, the prescribed qualifications may include the passing of any examinations in architecture, the holding of which may have been recommended to the Council by the Board, and in that event the Council shall direct the Board to hold those examinations, and those examinations shall be held by the Board accordingly at least once in each year and at such times and places as the Board may determine. Save as aforesaid, the Council shall not prescribe as a qualification for registration the passing of any examination held by or under the authority of the Council or the Board.
7 Removal of name from Register for criminal offence or professional misconduct.
(1) If any registered person is convicted of a criminal offence, or if the committee appointed for the purposes of this section, after an inquiry held thereunder in respect of any registered person, report to the Council that that person has been guilty of conduct disgraceful to him in his capacity as an architect, the Council may, subject to the provisions of this section, cause the name of that person to be removed from the Register, and where the name of any person is duly removed from the Register under this subsection, he shall, during such period thereafter as the Council may determine on the occasion of the removal, be disqualified for registration under this Act:
Provided that the Council may at any time, either of their own motion or on the application of the person concerned, cause his name to be restored to the Register, either without payment of a fee or on payment of such fee not exceeding the fee payable for registration under this Act as the Council may determine.
(2) For the purposes of this section there shall, subject as hereinafter provided, be appointed annually by the Council a committee (in this Act referred to as ‘the Discipline Committee’) consisting of eight persons, of whom four shall be registered persons nominated by the Council (including one person who is practising as an architect in Scotland), one shall be nominated by the Commissioners of Works, one shall be nominated by the Minister of Health and two shall be nominated by the President of the Law Society, and it shall be the duty of the...
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