ARB secures successful prosecution for misuse of title (17/01/2006)
On 22 December 2005, Richard Giddings of London SW6 was found guilty of a breach of Section 20 of the Architects Act for misusing the title “architect”.
Mr Giddings, who neither replied to the proceedings, nor attended the Hearing, was convicted in his absence by West London Magistrates. The magistrates imposed a fine of £1000, with a further £1000 in respect of costs. The complaint had been referred to ARB by Mr Giddings’s client.
Commenting after the case, ARB’s Regulation Department said:
“This was a clear breach of Section 20 of the Act, and the Magistrates have dealt with it accordingly. Both ARB and the courts take a strong line against individuals who seek to mislead the public by fraudulently holding themselves out as a professional, when clearly they have no such entitlement.”
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Notes for Editors
ARB is the statutory body established by Parliament under the Architects Act 1997 to regulate the UK architects’ profession in the public interest. The Act requires ARB (inter alia) to:
• Maintain the Register of Architects (Section 3)
• Prescribe qualifications for entry to the Register of Architects (Section 4)
• Deal with competence to practise (Section 9)
• Issue a Code which lays down standards of professional conduct and practice (Section 13)
• Regulate use of the title “architect” and prosecute those who use it fraudulently (Section 20)
ARB has a Board of 15 members, seven of whom are architects elected by the profession. The remaining eight are members of the public appointed by the Privy Council to represent the interests of consumers and users of architectural services.
ARB is not responsible for setting the levels of fines or costs; this is a matter entirely for the magistrates.
Moneys raised from fines are paid to HM Treasury, not to ARB
For further information, please contact Alan Peacock, Regulation Manager, on 020 7580 5861, or by email on
alanp@arb.org.uk
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