Bermuda Consolidated Legislation

BERMUDA
1973 : 93

INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS OF
BERMUDA ACT 1973

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

1 Interpretation

2 Institute of Chartered Ac countants of Bermuda established

3 Objects

4 Council of Institute

5 Composition of Council

6 Powers of Institute

7 By-laws of Institute

8 Appeals

9 Right to use designation "Chartered Accountant"

10 Unqualified persons; of fences

11 Register of members

12 [omitted]

13 Saving for certain persons practising on 9 August 1973

[9 August 1973]

[preamble and words of enactment omitted]

Interpretation

1 In this Act unless the context otherwise requires—

"Bermudian status" has the meaning assigned to it in the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 [title 5 item 16];

"Council" means the Council of the Institute established in ac cordance with the by-laws;

"Institute" means the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda established under this Act;

"member" means a member of the Institute;

"operative date" means the date on which this Act comes into op eration [the Act came into operation on assent on 9 August 1973];

"public accountant" means a person resident in Bermuda who, either alone or in partnership, engages for reward as an inde pendent accountant or auditor in public practice involving the performance of services which include—

(a) investigating or auditing any financial or accounting statement; or

(b) issuing any written opinion, report or certificate con cerning any financial or accounting statement,

where a purpose in performing any such services is to en hance the credibility of such a statement, but does not in clude a person who performs such services exclusively in re spect of a Government Department;

"Society" means the Bermuda Society of Chartered Accountants in existence on the operative date.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda established

2 The members of the Society shall be a body corporate under the name of "The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda" with the exclusive right to use that name and under that name to have perpetual succession.

Objects

3 The principal objects of the Institute are—

(a) to promote and increase the knowledge, skill and profi ciency of its members and students;

(b) to regulate the discipline and professional conduct of its members and students;

(c) to promote the best standards of practice in financial re porting and in the expression of professional opinions in relation thereto;

(d) to promote and protect the welfare and interest of the
Institute and the accounting profession.

Council of Institute

4 The affairs of the Institute shall be managed and conducted by a Council consisting of not less than five nor more than twenty members elected annually by the members in general meeting or appointed as the by-laws of the Institute shall provide.

Composition of Council

5 (1) Not less than sixty per cent of the members of the Council shall be persons possessing Bermudian status.

(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), the Council shall not be competent to transact business at any meeting unless a majority of the members present possess Bermudian status.

Powers of Institute

6 The Institute shall have the following powers—

(a) to sue and to be sued in its corporate capacity in all courts;

(b) to have and use a common seal and to renew or vary the same at pleasure;

(c) to enter into contracts and to do all things necessary for the carrying out of its objects;

(d) to pass by-laws not inconsistent with this Act for the purpose of carrying out its objects;

(e) to acquire by purchase, gift, exchange, lease, demise or otherwise any personal property and to hold, invest, mortgage, lease, sell or exchange the same as the Insti tute may from time to time determine;

(f) to take by way of lease, land situated in Bermuda bona fide required for the purposes of the Institute for a term not exceeding twenty-one years;

(g) to delegate to the Council the exercise of any of the pow ers conferred on the Institute by this Act.

By-laws of Institute

7 (1) In pursuance of section 6 the Institute may pass by-laws governing the management and administration of its affairs, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may pass by-laws—

(a) providing for determination of the number of members to be elected or appointed to the Council, and for such election or appointment;

(b) providing for admission to and tenure of membership in the Institute, and for the registration of students;

(c) providing for election of officers of the Institute;

(d) prescribing fees payable to the Institute;

(e) providing for the establishment and maintenance of classes, lectures, courses of study and systems of train ing, and for requirements relating to practical experience and examinations;

(f) providing for the receipt, management, investment and application of the assets of the Institute including con tributions, donations and bequests from members and others;

(g) providing for the exercise of disciplinary authority over members and students of the Institute by expulsion, suspension, fine or the imposition of any other penalty after due enquiry;

(h) providing for standards and tests of competency, fitness and moral character, and for rules of professional con duct;

(i) providing for affiliation with any university or college or with any corporation or association having similar or related objects.

(2) No by-law, nor any amendment to a by-law at any time in force, shall take effect unless it has been adopted by the Council and ap proved by a majority of the members voting thereon in accordance with the by-laws.

(3) The negative resolution procedure shall apply to bye-laws made under this section.

Appeals

8 (1) Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the Institute pursuant to a by-law made under section 7(1) (b) or (g) may within twenty-one days from the day on which notice thereof was served on
him in accordance with the by-laws of the Institute appeal against that deci sion to the Supreme Court.

(2) An appeal under this section shall be by way of rehearing on the record and the Supreme Court may confirm, reverse or modify the decision of the Institute or make such other order as may be just and the Institute shall govern itself accordingly.

(3) The Chief Justice may make rules for the better carrying out of the provisions of this section, for the procedure and forms to be used, for the admission of evidence and for fees to be paid on any appeal under this Act.

(4) The affirmative resolution procedure shall apply to rules fixing or varying the fees referred to in subsection (3)

(5) Section 6 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1977 [title 1 item 3] shall not apply to rules made under this section, other than those to which subsection (4) applies.

Right to use designation "Chartered Accountant"

9 (1) A member of the Institute has the right to use the designa tion "Chartered Accountant" and the initials "C.A." or "A.C.A." after his name.

(2) A member who is admitted a fellow of the Institute has the right to use the initials "F.C.A." after his name.

Unqualified persons; offences

10 (1) Subject to section 13, from and after the operative date, no person shall hold himself out as or practise as a public accountant un less he is a member of the Institute.

(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, without prejudice to any other proceedings which may be taken, commits an offence:

Punishment on summary conviction: a fine of $250 for a first offence and a fine of $500 for any subsequent offence.

Register of members

11 (1) The Council shall cause a register of the members and the students of the Institute to be kept by a registrar or other appropriate of ficer of the Institute, and the certificate of the registrar or such other ap propriate officer that a person is or is not a member or student of the In stitute shall be prima facie evidence in all courts and before all persons of the facts there certified.

(2) The register kept under subsection (1) shall be open to in spection by the public at all reasonable times.

Transitional

12 [omitted]

Saving for certain persons practising on 9 August 1973

13 A person who has been ordinarily engaged in full time practice as a public accountant in Bermuda for a period of not less than three years immediately preceding the operative date and who has not at any time been a member of the Institute may continue to practise.