The licensee of a Class 1A, Class 1B, Class 2A or Class 2B liquor licence is required to display legible notices in at least the English language (and may also add other languages) containing the following information:
- licensed trading hours*;
- notification that any supply or consumption of liquor is not allowed outside of the licensed trading hours;
- notification that any consumption of liquor within the licensed premises outside of the licensed trading hours may be an offence under section 12(1) of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015. Under section 12(1), an individual must not consume any liquor at any public place during any prescribed no public drinking period applicable to that place.
*The trading hours applicable to the licensee under regulation 7A(a) shall include the different trading hours that apply to the licensee, in the event the Minister specifies by order in the Gazette under section 6(2) of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015, that different trading hours apply to the licensee.
Penalty for breach of the regulation 7A
How and where to display notices
The notice(s) must:
- be conspicuously displayed in prominent positions and
- be in such number as will bring the needed information to the attention of any individual consuming or proposing to consume liquor at the premises.
Example:
- The notice(s) may be placed at all entrances of the premises, e.g. restaurants/bars/pubs with fixed entry points
- Where there are no fixed entry points, the notice(s) may be placed at common areas of patronage such as ingress points, ordering points and washrooms, or at any other area that is easily visible
- The notice(s) may also be placed at every table and bar counter.
Consumption of Liquor outside Trading Hours
Under section 6(1)(c) of the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015 (“the Act”), the licensee must not allow any liquor to be consumed within the licensed premises outside of the applicable trading hours. A breach of this Act is an offence for which the licensee shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Complying with the Act
As a licensee, you may wish to consider carrying out the following measures:
- Inform patrons that the liquor must be consumed within the trading hours (at the point of sale, service, or at any such time deemed necessary before the end of the trading hours);
- Remind patrons to cease drinking by the end of the trading hours;
- At the end of the trading hours, to collect all unconsumed liquor for disposal and remind patrons to cease drinking at the premises; and
- To notify the Police, if patrons refuse to comply despite the licensee carrying out step (3) above.