Legal and Democratic Services General Licensing Personal Licence Review Panel hearings – Procedure

The Panel will follow this procedure during the hearing. This is a quasi-judicial formal hearing, not an open discussion.  It must follow a set procedure to allow all parties (you and the council officers) a fair hearing and must conduct business in an orderly fashion.

If you wish the Panel to look at papers or photographs, please give these to the clerk. Both parties have to agree that they can be shown to the Panel.

If you have a representative or someone with you for support, please let the clerk know.

The Chair is in charge of proceedings.  If you wish to speak please raise your hand.  You must only speak when the Chair has invited you to do so. Please do not interrupt other speakers.

The only people normally at the hearing are the councillors, their legal adviser and clerk, the officers presenting their cases, and you and your representative. Members of the public are not admitted. Sometimes other councillors or officers may wish to observe the proceedings. If you do not wish any observers to be there, you can ask the Chair to ask them to leave.

The procedure is:

1          Welcome and introductions; outlining the procedure. 

2          The Licensing Officer presents his/her case.

Questions from:

· Members of the Panel

· applicant/licence holder

3          The applicant/licence holder presents his/her case.

Questions from

· Members of the Panel

· Licensing officer

4          Final summing-up from

· Licensing officer

· Applicant/ licence holder.

· Final questions from the Panel.

5          Consideration by the Panel.

The Panel ask everyone to leave the room while the committee makes its decision. You should be prepared to wait as you may need to come back to answer questions.  Please wait in Reception to be recalled. If you need to leave, please tell the clerk. The Panel will recall all parties even if only one is asked for further explanation.

6          Panel’s decision.

When the Panel has made its decision, everyone will be called back. The Chairman will announce the decision. This concludes the hearing. There is no opportunity for further questions or comments, but officers may be able to answer your questions.  The clerk will send the decision (with reasons) and your appeal rights in writing. The Licensing Officer will deal with issuing the licence or taking any further legal action.