Architects Act 1997

Part I The Board

Membership

1 The Board shall consist of—

(a) seven elected members; and

(b) eight appointed members.

Elected members

2 (1) The elected members shall be elected in accordance with an electoral scheme made by the Board, with the approval of the Privy Council, after consultation with such bodies as appear to the Board to be representative of architects.

(2) An electoral scheme under sub-paragraph (1) may be amended by the Board with the approval of the Privy Council and after consultation with such bodies as are mentioned in that sub-paragraph.

(3) The persons qualified—

(a) to elect the elected members; and

(b) to be elected as elected members,

are all those who are registered persons when the election is held.

Appointed members

3 (1) The appointed members shall be appointed by the Privy Council, after consultation with the Secretary of State and such other persons or bodies as the Privy Council thinks fit, to represent the interests of users of architectural services and the general public.

(2) No registered person shall be eligible for appointment as an appointed member.

Term of office

4 (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), the term of office of a member of the Board is three years.

(2) A member may resign at any time by notice in writing addressed to the Registrar.

(3) The Board may prescribe grounds (such as repeated absence from meetings or unacceptable professional conduct) on which any member may be removed from office and the procedure for removal.

5 A person who has held office as a member of the Board for a continuous period of six years may not be elected or appointed as a member until at least three years have elapsed since he last held office.

Casual vacancies

6 (1) Where a vacancy occurs among the members of the Board otherwise than by the expiry of a member’s term of office—

(a) if the vacancy is among the elected members, the Board shall appoint a registered person to fill it; and

(b) if the vacancy is among the appointed members, the Privy Council shall appoint a person to fill it.

(2) Subject to paragraph 4(2) and (3), a person appointed under sub-paragraph (1) to fill a vacancy holds office until the date on which the term of office of the member whose vacancy he fills would have expired.

(3) A person appointed under sub-paragraph (1)(a) shall be regarded as an elected member and a person appointed under sub-paragraph (1)(b) shall be regarded as an appointed member.

Chairman

7 (1) The members of the Board shall elect a chairman from among themselves.

(2) The chairman—

(a) may resign by notice in writing addressed to the Registrar; and

(b) may be removed by a majority vote of the other members of the Board.

(3) Rules made by the Board may make provision for the appointment of a person to act as chairman in the event of a vacancy in the office of chairman or in such other circumstances as may be prescribed.

8 In the event of a tie in any vote of the Board the chairman shall have an additional casting vote.

Procedure

9 The quorum of the Board shall be nine, of whom at least four shall be elected members and at least four shall be appointed members.

10 The Board may make rules governing its meetings and procedure.

Staff

11 (1) The Board may appoint staff.

(2) The Board shall determine the period for which, and the terms on which, its staff are appointed.

(3) Staff appointed by the Board shall have the duties which the Board directs.

(4) The Board may, in addition to paying salaries to its staff, pay pensions to or in respect of them, or make contributions to the payment of such pensions, and pay them allowances, expenses and gratuities.

Seal

12 The Board shall have a common seal which shall be authenticated in the prescribed manner; and any document purporting to be sealed with the seal authenticated in that manner shall be receivable as evidence of the particulars stated in it.