Licensing Act about to become tougher

The Government is about to put into force a set of measures destined to punish irresponsible alcohol retailers that could have a negative impact on all licensed premises.

The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) spells out a set of measures aimed at further regulating the sale of alcohol and purportedly tackle the negative effects of excessive alcohol drinking, which costs the UK up to £13bn a year, according to the Home Office.

These measures – three of which are set to come into force on April 6 and two more on October 10 – have produced heavy criticism with opponents citing their being prone to misinterpretation and the onus that this will put on licensed premises, both financially and from a responsibility point of view.

The possible sanctions for not respecting these new rules vary from loss of licence to the imposition of tougher conditions on a licence and, on summary conviction, a £20,000 fine and/or six months’ imprisonment.