The Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1987

Register and proof of certificate of registration

Register of clubs

14.—(1) Each clerk of petty sessions shall continue to keep a register of clubs having premises within the petty sessions district in respect of which a certificate of registration is issued under Article 7(1).

(2) Each clerk of petty sessions shall record in respect of each club entered in the register—

(a) the matters which under Article 7(1) are required to be specified in the certificate of registration;

(b) the names and addresses of the officials and the committee of management or governing body of the club;

(c) particulars of any renewal of registration of the club;

(d) particulars of any hours fixed or varied by a court under Article 5(2) or 23;

(e) particulars of any cancellation of registration of the club and of any disqualification order made in consequence of the cancellation;

(f) particulars of any conviction of the club of any offence under this Order and of any disqualification order made in consequence of the conviction;

(g) such other matters as may be prescribed by regulations.

(3) Each clerk of petty sessions shall also keep the documents received by him under paragraph (4), and those documents shall be deemed to be matters which are required to be, and have been, recorded in the register under paragraph (2).

(4) Where a court—

(a) on the application of any club grants registration; or

(b) fixes any hours in respect of a club under Article 5(2) or 23; or

(c) confirms, reverses or varies any decision or determination of any other court relating to the registration of a club, the court, where it is not a court of summary jurisdiction for the petty sessions district in which the premises of the club are situated, shall cause a copy of its order, and any document which was attached to, or received in connection with, the application, to be sent to the clerk of petty sessions for that district.

(5) A clerk of petty sessions may make such alterations in the register as are necessary to ensure that the matters recorded in the register in respect of the club are accurate.

Inspection of register

15.  A register of clubs and the statements of expenditure by clubs on intoxicating liquor may be inspected and copies of all or any part of any entry in the register or statements may be taken, at all reasonable hours.

Returns to Department

16.  The clerk of petty sessions for any petty sessions district, in respect of each such period as may be specified by the Department shall send to the Department a statement showing—

(a) the number of clubs having premises in that district registered under this Order;

(b) the number of certificates of registration issued;

(c) the number of clubs so registered for which registration has been renewed;

(d) the numbers of members of each club;

(e) the expenditure incurred by each club on intoxicating liquor;

and containing such other information as the Department may require.

Register of clubs to be evidence

17.—(1) A register of clubs shall be received in evidence of the matters required by or under this Order to be recorded in it, and any document purporting to be certified by a clerk of petty sessions to be a true copy of an entry in the register of clubs kept by him shall be received in evidence of any such matters contained in the entry.

(2) On an application for the grant, renewal or cancellation of the registration of a club under this Order the court shall have regard to the entries, if any, in the register of clubs relating to the person by whom, or the club premises in respect of which, the application is made.

Proof, etc., of certificates of registration

18.—(1) A document purporting to be a certificate of registration and to be signed by the clerk of the court by which the club was registered shall be received in evidence.

(2) A document which has been issued by the clerk of petty sessions for the petty sessions district in which the club is registered and certified by him to contain a true copy of the particulars recorded in the register of clubs in respect of that club shall be treated for the purposes of this Order as the certificate of registration.

(3) The clerk of petty sessions may issue a document under paragraph (2) where he is satisfied that the certificate of registration has been lost or destroyed.

Effect of registration

19.  The registration of a club under this Order shall not constitute the club premises licensed premises within the meaning of the Licensing Act (Northern Ireland) [1971 c. 13 (N.I.)] 1971 or authorise any sale of intoxicating liquor in the club which would otherwise be illegal but the supply, in accordance with the rules of the club and this Order, of intoxicating liquor by a registered club to a member of the club or to a guest of a member of the club shall not, for the purposes of any enactment prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquor, be deemed to be an unlawful sale to that member or guest.