Published: 23 October 2014
Q: I am a duty manager in a busy town centre bar. I am a personal licence holder and I also hold an SIA licence, as sometimes my duties include searching customers on entry. Following an incident that happened outside of work, I was recently arrested and charged with assault and I am due to appear in Court next month. Do I need to inform anyone about the charge?
A: You will obviously have a lot on your mind at the moment, however you are right that you do need to let certain people know about the charge. In terms of your personal licence, when you make your first appearance before the Magistrates’ Court, you must inform the Court that you hold a personal licence. If you are convicted, the Court may suspend your personal licence for up to 6 months, or even forfeit it, and they will notify the licensing authority who issued your personal licence. Failure to notify the Court that you hold a personal licence is also a separate offence in itself. Secondly, in terms of your SIA licence, you need to inform the SIA of any convictions, cautions, warnings or charges as soon as practicable, and certainly within 21 days. Again, the SIA may revoke or suspend your licence. You may also need to inform your employer of the charge. Some less serious offences do not have the same notification requirements. However, with so much at stake, you should obtain legal advice at the earliest opportunity.
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