{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/general-optical-council-constitution-order-2009/article-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/general-optical-council-constitution-order-2009/article-10.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2009/442",
  "legislation_title": "The General Optical Council (Constitution) Order 2009",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/general-optical-council-constitution-order-2009",
  "path": "article/10",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Deputising arrangements in respect of the chair",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if, for any reason, the chair is absent from a meeting of the Council, the members who are present at that meeting shall nominate one of their number to serve as chair at that meeting.\n(2) If, for any reason—\n(a) the Council is on notice that their chair is likely—\n(i) to be absent for more than one meeting of the Council, or\n(ii) to be unavailable to perform the duties of a chair for more than one month; or\n(b) the office of chair is vacant,\nthe Council may nominate a member (“deputy chair”) to serve as chair during the absence or unavailability of the chair or the vacancy.\n(3) A member serving as deputy chair shall cease to be deputy chair—\n(a) in the case of—\n(i) the absence or unavailability of the chair, on the date which the chair notifies the General Council in writing as the date on which they are able to resume their duties, or\n(ii) the office of chair being vacant, once the vacancy is filled;\n(b) if the member ceases to be a member;\n(c) if the member resigns as deputy chair, which the member may do at any time by a notice in writing to the Council;\n(d) if the member’s membership of the Council is provisionally suspended by the Council or suspended by the Privy Council; or\n(e) if the Council votes (by a majority at a quorate meeting) to terminate the member’s appointment as deputy chair.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Art. 10 in force at 1.4.2009, see art. 1(1)(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/442/article/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T03:17:01.341884+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}