‘A Practical Guide to Summary Reviews Under the Licensing Act 2003’ by Duncan Craig

Description

‘A Practical Guide to Summary Reviews under the Licensing Act 2003’ is a step-by-step guide to the process of Summary Reviews within the licensing regime. Summary Reviews usually occur when an incident of serious violence occurs in, or immediately outside, a licensed premises and a senior member of a police service considers that the premises is associated with serious crime as a consequence. The process is highly formulaic, incredibly fast moving, and requires a considered and tactical approach throughout.

This book provides practical guidance around each stage of the process and includes several dos and don’ts for parties that are engaged. It is an especially useful tool for licence holders and their representatives, in particular those who are unfamiliar with the process. It starts from the police’s application and flows through to any appeals at the other end. It deals with the strict timescales involved and provides guidance in terms of dealing with the various other parties involved and what their particular roles are.

The book is written by a legal professional with a wealth of practical experience on the subject in front of dozens of councils in England and Wales.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Prior to his call to the bar Duncan Craig had a nineteen-year career in the licensed trade. This started in 1991 when he worked in free trade sales for Whitbread for five years, followed by four years as a pub area manager for Eldridge Pope. He opened his first restaurant in Nottingham when he was still at Eldridge Pope and in 2000 focussed his efforts on building his own group of pubs, bars and restaurants which by 2006 comprised of six licensed premises in Nottingham employing over 120 people.

After losing that business in 2009 Duncan resolved to become a barrister and after completing the GDL and BPTC at Nottingham Law School he secured a pupillage at Citadel Chambers in Birmingham where he was a member for ten years during which time he built up a formidable licensing practice and became Head of Licensing. In 2023 Duncan moved to St Philips Chambers, also in Birmingham, which has a long-established reputation in the field of regulatory law. In 2025 Duncan became Deputy Head of the Regulatory Group at St Philips.

Duncan is widely regarded as the leading barrister in the field of licensing in the Midlands, one of the busiest licensing lawyers in the country and has conducted more expedited reviews than any other legal professional over the course of the last decade.

CONTENTS

Chapter One – The Licensing Act 2003
Chapter Two – The Summary Review Application
Chapter Three – The Licensing Authority’s Role Upon Receipt of the Summary Review Application
Chapter Four – Interim Steps Pending Review
Chapter Five – Challenge to Interim Step
Chapter Six – Representation Period
Chapter Seven – The Final Hearing
Chapter Eight – Appeals