Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom
Under an Act passed by the
When the Warne Report was published in 1993, it was found that its principal recommendation was abolition of this body. Instead, after a consultation process conducted by the Department of the Environment this body has been reconstituted and renamed as the Architects Registration Board. It now operates under the Architects Act 1997.
The statutory register
The originating Act was the
Hard bound copies of all volumes in the annual series so produced, from volume 1 for 1933 and continuing into the years after the name of the registration body was changed to the
Qualification
For ascertaining whether a person who claimed to be entitled to be registered was duly qualified, the Act required the Council to appoint annually a Board of Architectural Education referred to in the Act as "the Board", and a committee referred to in the Act as "the Admissions Committee".
The constitution of the Board was prescribed by the Second Schedule to the Act. By the Act two duties were ascribed to the Board, namely, to hold examinations in architecture in accordance with the Act, and to make recommendations to the Council in two respects, namely:
- the recognition of any examinations in architecture the passing of which ought, in the opinion of the Board, to qualify persons for registration under the Act; and
- the holding of any examination in architecture which ought, in the opinion of the Board, to be passed by applicants for registration under the Act.
The constitution of the Admissions Committee was prescribed in the Third Schedule to the Act. The duty ascribed by the Act to the Admissions Committee was to consider every application for registration under the Act and to report thereon to the Council as to whether the applicant was, in the opinion of the Committee, qualified for registration.
Before a person who had duly applied to the Council could become entitled to be registered, the Act required the Council to be satisfied on a report of the Admission Committee that the applicant was qualified in one of four respects, namely:
- membership of the Royal Academy or of the Royal Scottish Academy; or
- practising as an architect in the United Kingdom at the commencement of the Act; or
- having passed any examination in architecture which was for the time being recognised by the Council; or
- possessing "the prescribed qualifications".
The Council was required to make regulations in respect of anything which by the Act was to be prescribed, but no regulations of the Council were to be of any force or validity without the prior approval of the
Among other things, the 1996 Act abolished the statutory Board of Architectural Education and the Admissions Committee (subsection 118(2)).
Restrictions on use of "architect"
The
By subsection 3(3) of the Architects Registration Act, 1938 the name of this statutory register was changed to the Register of Architects, and this continues under the Architects Act 1997.
The change of name was made in connection with the introduction of statutory restrictions on the use of the vernacular word "architect", which were to apply to all persons, including fully qualified practising members of the
Professional conduct
The Discipline Committee which was constituted under the 1931 Act was abolished under subsection 118(2) of the 1996 Act. Instead there is a Professional Conduct Committee which operates under Part III of the 1997 Act.
See also
For sources, references and further information see:
- The Architects (Registration) Acts, 1931 to 1938.
- Extent and citations of the Acts
- Formation and duties of ARCUK
- Architects Act 1997
- Regulations and rules
- Penal restriction
- Nomination and appointment
- Statutory nomenclature
- Reform of Architects Registration, (Warne Report and Consultation)
- Architects Registration in the United Kingdom:
- Use of title
- Background to legislation, cc19-20
- Three aspects
- 1931 regime
- From 1990s
- Chronology 1834-1997
- The present legislation
- Summary of legislative history
- The "burdens" and "choices"
- Side-effects
- Membership of the Board
- Duties of the Board
- "Architecture" and "architectural services"
- Links to the Architects Act 1997