{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/opticians-act-1989/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/opticians-act-1989/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1989/44",
  "legislation_title": "Opticians Act 1989",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/opticians-act-1989",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Constitution and functions of the Council.",
  "text": "(1) There shall continue to be a body corporate known as the General Optical Council (in this Act referred to as “the Council”).\n(2) The Council shall have the general function of promoting high standards of professional education, conduct and performance among registrants and the additional functions assigned to the Council by or under this Act.\n(2A) The over-arching objective of the Council in exercising their functions is the protection of the public.\n(2B) The pursuit by the Council of their over-arching objective involves the pursuit of the following objectives—\n(a) to protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and well-being of the public;\n(b) to promote and maintain public confidence in the professions regulated under this Act;\n(c) to promote and maintain proper professional standards and conduct for members of those professions; and\n(d) to promote and maintain proper standards and conduct for business registrants.\n(3) There shall continue to be a registrar of the Council.\n(4) The Council shall be constituted as provided for by order of the Privy Council, subject to Schedule 1 (which relates to the constitution etc. of the Council), and the provisions of that Schedule shall have effect.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(2) substituted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3)-(6) of the amending S.I.) by The Opticians Act 1989 (Amendment) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/848), art. 3 (with Sch. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 1(2A)(2B) substituted for s. 1(2A) (26.9.2016) by Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015 (c. 28), s. 6(4), Sch. para. 2(2); S.I. 2016/906, reg. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 1(4) substituted (9.7.2008 for specified purposes, 1.4.2009 in so far as not already in force) by The Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2008 (S.I. 2008/1774), art. 1(3), Sch. 2 para. 1; S.I. 2008/3150, art. 2(3)(a)(i)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/44/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:44:45.355543+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "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."
  }
}