AHA rejects call to evict drunks from licensed venues
The Australian Hotels Association has slammed a proposal to bring in a law requiring drunk people to be kicked out of all South Australian licensed venues.
It’s described the proposed law change as “draconian” and “brutish”.
The South Australian government is now considering the changes which are part of the 129 proposals in a 332-page report of an independent liquor licensing review.
Under the law now, it is illegal to serve a drunk person alcohol.
But the review wants to take that one step further: it has proposed bringing in a requirement that would see all licensed venues – including those hosting wedding receptions, wine tastings and birthday parties – throwing out any intoxicated person.
This would bring in a law where it would be an offence to “allow a person who is in a state of intoxication to be on the licensed premises”.
“We just think it’s draconian,” Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne told InDaily.
“The licensee should absolutely not serve [a drunk person] any more alcohol, but to remove them? Throw them out into the street?
“It’s dangerous. It’s brutish.”
He said it would expose licensees to extraordinary risk by forcing them to unnecessarily expel people from weddings, birthdays, corporate and sporting events.
“Everyone in the liquor industry would be opposed to that,” Horne said.
Depending on the circumstances, he said, it could see the bizarre situation where the bride if not the father-in-law could be kicked out of a wedding. For that matter, the entire bridal party could be shown the door.
He also pointed out it wasn’t clear just how intoxicated a person would have to be to get kicked out.
In view of that, the licensee would have no legal defence if someone was found to be drunk at the venue when the licensee had considered they were only a little bit tipsy.
Other draconian changes recommended by the review include a law forcing anyone who “appears to be” under the age of 25 to produce photo identification and giving police powers to breathalyse bartenders and licensees.
by Leon Gettler, July 11th 2016
