Why are professional engineers not recognised by statue, like doctors or lawyers?
Statutory recognition of professions in the UK requires the particular functions being controlled by statute to be defined. It has not proved possible to isolate the functions that engineers undertake, except in narrow sectors (dam designers, certificated marine engineers, mining engineers). Unsurprisingly, coverage of other professions is rarely comprehensive. For instance, medical procedures may in fact be undertaken by anyone who obtains the consent of their patient. Restrictions on legal practice are confined to the courtroom – legal advice is freely available from unregistered lawyers.
