The Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1987

Preservation of order

Drunkenness in registered club

34.—(1) A registered club shall not—

(a) permit drunkenness or any disorderly conduct to take place on the premises of the club; or

(b) supply intoxicating liquor to a drunken person knowing him to be such.

(2) If paragraph (1) is contravened—

(a) the registered club; and

(b) every person entered in the register of clubs as an official or member of the committee of management or governing body of the club at the time of the contravention; and

(c) the person permitting the drunkenness or disorderly conduct or, as the case may be, supplying the intoxicating liquor, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(3) Where any person is found drunk on the premises of a registered club he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(4) In any proceedings for an offence by reason of a contravention of paragraph (1) it shall be a defence for a person to prove that the contravention occurred without his consent or connivance and that he exercised due diligence to prevent it.

(5) Where a person is charged under paragraph (2), with permitting drunkenness in contravention of paragraph (1)(a) and it is proved that any person was drunk on the premises of the registered club, the burden of proving that the defendant took all reasonable steps to prevent drunkenness in the club premises shall lie upon him.

Procuring drink for drunken person

35.—(1) If any person on the premises of a registered club procures intoxicating liquor for consumption by a drunken person he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) If any person aids a drunken person in obtaining or consuming intoxicating liquor in premises as mentioned in paragraph (1) he shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) If any person without reasonable excuse brings a drunken person into premises of a registered club he shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this Article shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(5) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under this Article unless the court is satisfied that he knew or ought to have known the condition of the person in connection with whom the charge is brought.

Power to exclude drunken persons, etc., from registered club

36.—(1) Without prejudice to any other right to refuse a person admission to premises or to expel a person from premises, a registered club may refuse to admit to, or may expel from, the premises of the club any person who is drunken, or is acting in a disorderly manner, or whose presence in the premises of the club would subject the club to a penalty under this Order or under any other statutory provision.

(2) If any person liable to be expelled from the club premises as mentioned in paragraph (1) fails to leave the premises on the request of the club or a constable, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(3) A constable shall, on the demand of a registered club, help to expel from the premises of the club any person liable to be expelled from those premises under this Article, and may use such force as may be required for the purpose.