Civil Litigation Solicitors

From the 6 April 2017, under Immigration Act 2016, immigration checks will be part of the application process for a licence in premises selling alcohol or providing late night refreshment.

As of the 6 April 2017, neither a premises nor personal licence will be issued to anyone who does not have permission to be living or working in the UK. Being granted a licence and continuing to hold it will also be reliant on compliance with the UK’s immigration laws.

Additionally, the Home Office will now be consulted in the same way as the police before a licence is granted. If a business has any immigration offences or civil penalties, these will be considered both as part of the licence application, and as a ground for making a formal request to a licensing authority for a licence to be reviewed.

Furthermore, immigration officers will receive the same powers as licensing enforcement officers and the police to enter a premises being used to sell alcohol or late night refreshment, in order to investigate any immigration offences. This will enable joint enforcement operations with licensing enforcement officers, and allow immigration officers to enter licensed premises without a warrant if there is intelligence of illegal working taking place.

This licensed premises provisions form part of a wider package of measures in the Immigration Act 2016 to tackle illegal working, which is a key driver of illegal migration to the UK and often leads to exploitation.

The new measures came into force in England and Wales on the 06 April 2017 and will be followed later this year in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Author Simran Kaur is a Trainee Solicitor in Duncan Lewis Solicitor’s Civil Litigation Department. Simran joined the Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department in early 2017 and assists with the following matters, including but not limited to; dispute resolution (litigation, arbitration or mediation), professional negligence claims, debt recovery; civil penalty notice; insolvency; contractual disputes, leasehold disputes, contentious probate matters, boundary and neighbourhood dispute matters. Simran is a pro- active and tenacious lawyer, and although routinely based in our Harrow branch, she is happy to assist clients throughout the UK. Furthermore, her dynamic approach allows her to deal with a diverse range and complex matters.

Duncan Lewis Civil Litigation Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is one of the leading solicitors in England and Wales offering expert litigation and alternative dispute resolution services offering expertise in ADR & Mediation, Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy, Banking & Finance, Company & Commercial, Contentious Probate, Defamation, Debt Recovery, Fraud, International, Property and Professional Negligence. The firm regularly handle claims at the County Court as well as high-value claims at the High court, the Commercial Court and the Court of Appeal. If you have a litigation issue which you wish to discuss in confidence, please do not hesitate to call us on 0333 772 0409.