UK Act of Parliament
1989
United Kingdom
Opticians Act 1989
An Act to consolidate certain enactments relating to opticians with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
3 compliance obligations, 1 practical guide
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Self-Employed Person 1
- Trader 1
Plus 1 non-business duty on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Relevant guidance
Practical guides for businesses affected by this Act, ordered by how closely they engage with it.
Supporting — topic alignment
1 guidesOther Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Self-Employed People also bound by 82 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- General Dental Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 1993 12 duties
- The National Health Service (General Dental Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2010 2010 7 duties
- The General Chiropractic Council (Indemnity Arrangements) Rules Order of Council 2015 2015 5 duties
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 1993 5 duties
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 1992 4 duties
Traders also bound by 826 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 1995 413 duties
- Companies Act 2006 2006 243 duties
- The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 2008 114 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 62 duties
- Building Societies Act 1986 1986 56 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part I — The General Optical Council
Browse 11 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Constitution and functions of the Council.
The Education Committee.
The Companies Committee
The Investigation Committee
The Registration Committee
The Registration Appeals Committee
The Standards Committee
The Fitness to Practise Committee
The Hearings Panel
General power to appoint committees.
Powers of delegation
Part 2A — FITNESS TO PRACTISE
Browse 14 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
The Council’s duty to provide guidance on fitness to practise
Information to be provided to specified state professionals
The Council’s power to require disclosure of information
Notification and disclosure by the Council
Allegations
Provisions supplementary to section 13D
Powers of the Fitness to Practise Committee
Provisions supplementary to section 13F
Financial penalty order
Power to order immediate suspension etc. after a finding of impairment of fitness to practise
Removal from a register on grounds of fraud or error
Restoration of names to a register
Interim orders
Provisions supplementary to section 13L
Part II — Registration and Training of Opticians
List of bodies corporate carrying on business as opticians.
- Register your optician business with the GOC Trader
Indemnity arrangements for individual registrants and persons applying for their name to be registered
- Maintain adequate professional indemnity insurance Self-Employed Person
Browse 13 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Registers of opticians.
Qualifications for being registered.
Registers of students
Visiting opticians from relevant European States: registers
Visiting optometrists: entitlement to registration
Visiting dispensing opticians: entitlement to registration
Section 8: further provision relating to specified state qualifications
General provisions as to registers and lists.
Publication of registers and proof of registration
Requirement for continuing education and training
Failure to satisfy requirements imposed under a scheme
Education and training
Supervision of training establishments and qualifying assessments .
Part 3A — PROCEEDINGS AND APPEALS
Browse 8 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Service of notification
Procedure of Fitness to Practise Committee and Registration Appeals Committee
Powers of the Council to make rules
Legal advisers
Other advisers
Registration appeals
Appeals from the Registration Appeals Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee
Date decision takes effect
Part III — Disciplinary Proceedings
Browse 10 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Disciplinary orders.
Suspension orders.
Penalty orders.
Powers of Disciplinary Committee.
Restoration of names erased as result of disciplinary cases etc.
Erasure from register and list on grounds of fraud or error.
Service of notifications.
Procedure of Disciplinary Committee.
Assessors to Disciplinary Committee.
Appeals in disciplinary and other cases.
Part IV — Restrictions On Testing Of Sight, Fitting Of Contact Lenses, Sale And Supply Of Optical Appliances And Use Of Titles And Descriptions
Browse 8 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Testing of sight.
Fitting of contact lenses.
Duties to be performed on sight testing.
Sale and supply of optical appliances.
Penalty for pretending to be registered etc.
Provision as to death or bankruptcy of registered optician.
Offences by bodies corporate.
Legal proceedings
Part V — Miscellaneous And Supplementary
Expenses and accounts of the Council.
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- GOC must keep accounts, have them audited, and publish them annually Statutory regulator
Browse 10 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Miscellaneous matters with respect to which rules may be made.
Rules
Annual reports, statistical reports and strategic plans
Default powers of Privy Council.
Subordinate legislation procedure.
Privy Council quorum and documents.
Interpretation.
Consequential amendments and repeals.
Commencement.
Short title and extent.
Schedules
Browse 25 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
The Council shall consist of— (a) nine persons nominated by...
The registrar shall be appointed by the Council and shall...
(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Schedule, the...
(1) In exercising their functions, the Council shall—
Subject to any provision made by or under this Act,...
Rules under section 2(2), 3(2), 4(3), 5(2), 5A(3), 5B(2) and...
Rules under sections 2 to 5D may make provision for...
(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, the Privy Council may...
Membership: general
Matters for the order of the Privy Council under section 1(4)
Registration of members’ private interests
(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, any person nominated by...
(1) The persons chosen to represent the registrants on the...
Of the persons nominated by the assessing bodies—
The four registered medical practitioners on the Council shall be...
(1) On 1st January 1992, and at the end of...
(1) A member of the Council may at any time,...
(1) The chairman of the Council shall be nominated by...
(1) A person who has been chairman of the Council...
Interpretation
Appealable registration decisions
Notice of appealable registration decisions
Appeals from an appealable registration decision
Extension of time for appealing
. . . . . . . . . ....
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- MHRA — medicines and healthcare products regulation (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
- General Optical Council (opens in a new tab) Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
General Optical Council
Statutory regulator for optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians, and optical businesses in the UK. Registers individuals and businesses, sets standards, and investigates …
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Browse legislation
Find other UK business legislation with related guidance.
Regulators
Learn more about the bodies that enforce this legislation.