The premises licence for a Northampton nightclub has today been suspended after the death of a customer who was crushed during a surge for the emergency exit. What are the possible consequences for the licence and consequently the business in such a situation? The licence will have been suspended either as a result of a closure order or a summary review application by the police. If the decision to suspend the licence is upheld after the premises licence holder has been allowed the chance to make representations then the premises must remain closed until a full review hearing takes place before the council. The full review hearing must take place within 28 days. At that review hearing the licence can be revoked. If the council stop short of full revocation they can suspend the licence for up to three months or remove licensable hours / activities or add new conditions. If the initial suspension came about as a result of a closure order and the decision at full hearing is to revoke or suspend the licence then during any appeal to the Magistrates the premises must remain closed in line with the position immediately before the full review hearing took place. An appeal can take several months and closure for that length of time would be likely to be fatal to the business. The best advice if you are faced with a closure order or summary review application is to contact a licensing solicitor as soon as possible. Bond Pearce Licensing Team is ranked Band 1 in Chambers Legal Directory and is always on hand to help out in an emergency.
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