What this means
Start with the exact decision in front of you.
PCC hearings are ordinarily public and decide referred allegations under the applicable rules. Preparation should follow case-management directions, organise project and witness evidence, and keep factual proof separate from the statutory characterisation and any sanction stage.
Immediate priorities
Organise the position before responding.
Audit the report, allegations, bundle and all directions
Prepare witnesses from their own records and recollection
Identify preliminary applications, expert issues and accessibility needs early
Detailed guidance
The procedure, evidence and possible route from here.
01
Use case management to define a fair hearing
The Professional Conduct Committee ordinarily sits with an architect, a lay member and a legally qualified member. Its rules and directions govern the evidence, hearing timetable and preliminary applications. Create a master schedule of deadlines for witness statements, expert reports, bundles and legal submissions. If a direction cannot be met, apply before default with evidence of the problem and a realistic replacement timetable.
Identify applications concerning amendment, admissibility, concurrent proceedings, adjournment, remote attendance, absence or privacy as soon as their basis is known. ARB publishes guidance on several of these topics. An application should state the order sought, governing rule, facts and effect on fairness. Repeated late requests can affect witness availability, public resources and the Committee's view of whether proceedings can continue fairly.
- Maintain one directions and evidence calendar
- Make procedural applications with a defined order
- Explain adjustment needs before the hearing
02
Prepare the merits in distinct stages
First organise the evidence around whether each factual allegation is proved. Then address whether any proved facts meet the serious statutory definition of UPC or SPI. Keep sanction material available but separate unless and until needed. This structure prevents personal mitigation from appearing to answer a disputed fact and helps the Committee give intelligible reasons for each stage of its decision.
Witness preparation should improve accuracy, not produce identical accounts. Review contemporaneous records with each witness, identify the limits of memory and explain the hearing process. Technical opinion must be distinguished from factual project evidence. If an expert uses standards or guidance published after the events, require an explanation of why it reliably reflects the professional position at the relevant date.
- Separate facts, statutory characterisation and sanction
- Prepare witnesses without scripting
- Test the date and assumptions of expert standards
03
Plan for the public decision and order
Most PCC hearings are public and decisions are published. Arrange any confidential material so the Committee can use proportionate redaction or closed treatment if justified without making the bundle unworkable. A party seeking privacy should provide a focused evidential basis. Witness welfare and open justice can often be balanced through practical measures short of excluding the public from the entire case.
At the end of the hearing, obtain the precise findings, sanction, effective date and reasons. If reasons are reserved, avoid guessing the result or collateral effect. Once issued, compare the written decision with the formal order and note the statutory appeal period. Give employers, insurers and clients accurate information about the actual outcome and any continuing right to practise rather than relying on headlines or an oral summary.
- Prepare targeted confidentiality proposals
- Record findings allegation by allegation
- Verify the written order before external notification
Key questions
Keep the analysis tied to this stage.
Whether ARB proves each allegation
Whether proved facts amount to UPC or SPI
Whether and what sanction should follow
Advice is provided only by the regulated firm that accepts a matter.
Common questions
Clarifying the route without assuming the outcome.
Can the PCC hearing proceed if the architect does not attend?
ARB has published guidance on proceeding in absence. The Committee must apply the rules and fairness factors; non-attendance does not automatically stop the hearing.
Are PCC hearings always public?
They are ordinarily public, but the Committee may make appropriate directions under the rules. Any privacy request should be specific and supported.
Connected guidance
Continue through the topic map.
Use the hub for the full sequence or choose the connected route that matches the notice.
Official sources
Check the material for this question.
Sources checked 19 September 2026. Rules change, so compare the current notice and linked official material and tell the operator if a citation or summary needs correction.