THE ARCHITECTS REGISTRATION BOARD

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT COMMITTEE

Held at

8 Weymouth Street, London W1W 5BU

on

Friday 21 July 2006

Present

MR MICHAEL WILLIAMS
(In the Chair)
MS BARBARA SAUNDERS
MR JAMES CUTHBERTSON
MR STEPHEN BATTERSBY
(Clerk to the Tribunal)

MR IAIN MILLER (of Messrs. Bevan Brittan) appeared as the Board’s Solicitor.

The Architect did not appear and was not represented.

IN THE MATTER OF
PETER JAMES WHITE
Registration No. 047624B

DECISION

THE CHAIRMAN:  We have now made our decision.  The circumstances which have brought this case before us this morning have obviously caused sadness and distress both to the victim of the frauds in the first place, and subsequently to the perpetrator.  The defendant’s subsequent conduct reflects his knowledge of the seriousness of the action and we have taken into account the exercise that he has done by way of mitigation.  The case clearly falls within the categories contemplated by the legislation and Section 15 (1)(b) of the Architects Act precisely addresses this kind of criminal issue.  The general guidance of the Standards of Conduct and Practice at page 10 and 11 clearly contemplates criminal proceedings as one of the grounds upon which the disciplinary process should be brought.  It’s clear in our view that the provisions of paragraph 3 of the Code have been broken and that the conduct of the architect constitutes unacceptable professional conduct which is defined in the Code as Conduct as conduct which falls short of the standard required of a registered person.  We have taken note of Bolton and the views of Lord Justice Bingham as I think he then was, which are inescapable.  It seems to us in those circumstances that there is no alternative in this case but to making an order of erasure and that is the decision that we have in respect of Mr White in this matter today.