The Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Drunkenness in registered clubs

35.—(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 official 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 he exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of such an offence.

(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.