Professional Conduct Committee

The Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) is a committee that is constituted in its own right under Schedule 1, Part II of the Architects Act.  The PCC is chaired by a solicitor nominated by the Law Society, and hears cases where unacceptable professional conduct or serious professional incompetence is alleged against the standards in the Code of Conduct.  When sitting, it is usual for three members to form the Committee - one architect, one lay member and one Law Society nominated member.  The Committee can impose a number of disciplinary sanctions, depending on the seriousness of the case.   PCC hearings are held in public.

It can:

• issue a reprimand (a warning)
• impose a fine
• suspend an architect from the Register for a specified period of time
• order that an architect’s name be removed from the Register

The PCC can also make disciplinary orders following a criminal conviction for an offence which has material relevance to the architect's fitness to practise, or it can acquit the architect if there is no case to answer.

The PCC’s membership is composed of:

• four architect members of the Board, including at least one whose address in the Register is in Scotland , or (if there is no architect member who is willing to act) three architect members and one architect whose address in the Register is in Scotland ;
• three lay members of the Board; and
• three solicitors nominated by the President of the Law Society.
• six individuals appointed by the Board, including three architects, at least one of whom must have an address in Scotland .

Current members of the PCC are:

• Alexandra Marks
• Paul Housego
• Julian Weinberg
• Donal Hutchison
• Stephen Neale
• James Cuthbertson
• Judy Carr
• Linda Read
• Barbara Saunders
• Peter Coe
• Hans Eisner
• Alan Jago
• Myra Kinghorn
• Andrew Mortimer
• Richard Parnaby
• Susan Ware

The Committee’s terms of reference are as set out in the PCC and Investigations Rules.