Alcohol: licensing Forfeiture and suspension of licences on conviction of relevant offences
The 2003 Act contains provision to enable a criminal court to order the forfeiture or suspension of a personal licence where the licensee has been convicted before the court of a relevant offence (namely one of the offences specified in Schedule 4 to the 2003 Act). Where a personal licence is revoked or suspended the licensee will be prevented from selling or supplying alcohol.
	Where the holder of a personal licence is charged with a relevant offence, he or she must produce the licence to the court before the case against him or her is first heard. A personal licence holder is also required to notify the licensing authority where he or she is convicted of a relevant offence or a foreign offence. The licensing authority does not have the ability to suspend or revoke the licence; nor is there provision for a court to order the forfeiture or suspension of a licence other than at the point the licensee is being sentenced for a relevant offence.
	Section 138 amends the 2003 Act to give licensing authorities the power to revoke or suspend a licence, and section 139 updates the list of offences in Schedule 4.