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Licensing Act 1872
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Licensing Act 1872 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 December 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to :
- s. 12 words substituted by 2003 c. 44 Sch. 26 para. 2
Licensing Act 1872
1872 CHAPTER 94 35 and 36 Vict
An Act for Regulating the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors.
[10th August 1872]
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1Preamble omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1893 (c. 54)
C2Act repealed (N. I. ) by S. I. 1980/704 (N. I. 6), art. 13, Sch. 2
PreliminaryE+W+N.I.
1 Short title.E+W+N.I.
This Act may be cited as “The Licensing Act 1872.”
2 Extent of Act.E+W+N.I.
This Act shall not extend to Scotland.
3—11.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
Offences against Public OrderE+W+N.I.
12 Penalty on persons found drunk. E+W+N.I.
Every person found drunk in any highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on any licensed premises, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F2level 1 on the standard scale], and on a second conviction within a period of twelve months shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F2level 1 on the standard scale], and on a third or subsequent conviction within such period of twelve months be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F2level 1 on the standard scale].
Every person . . . F3 who is drunk while in charge on any highway or other public place of any carriage, horse, cattle, or steam engine, or who is drunk when in possession of any loaded firearms, F4... shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings, or in the discretion of the court to imprisonment . . . F5 for any term not exceeding one month.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5
Textual Amendments
F2Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46
F3Words repealed by Criminal Justice Act 1967 (c. 80), Sch. 7 Pt. I
F4Words in s. 12 repealed (1.1.2006) by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15), s. 178(8)(8), Sch. 7 para. 6, Sch. 17 Pt. 2; S.I. 2005/3495, art. 2(1)(m)(u)
F5Words repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1953 (2 & 3 Eliz. 2 c. 5)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C3S. 12 extended by Licensing Act 1902 (c. 28), s. 8 and Licensing Act 1964 (c. 26), s. 200(2); amended by Criminal Justice Administration Act 1914 (c. 58), s. 38, Penalties for Drunkenness Act 1962 (c. 52), s. 1(1)(b), (2)(b), Licensing Act 1964 (c. 26), s. 195
C4S. 12 excluded by Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (c. 53, SIF 107:1), s. 5
13—18.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
19–22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7E+W+N.I.
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9E+W+N.I.
25, 26.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
27, 28.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
F11Ss. 27, 28, 46 repealed by Licensing Act 1961 (c. 61), Sch. 9 Pt. I
29–34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
35. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13E+W+N.I.
36–38. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
40–45. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
46. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
F17Ss. 27, 28, 46 repealed by Licensing Act 1961 (c. 61), Sch. 9 Pt. I
47–74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
75. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
Application of certain of the preceding Provisions of this Act to Ireland E+W+N.I.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C5Act repealed (N. I. ) by S. I. 1980/704 (N. I. 6), art. 13, Sch. 2
76. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
77†Application to Ireland of certain provisions of the Act with modifications. E+W+N.I.
The preceding provisions of this Act with respect to offences against public order shall extend to Ireland.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21
Textual Amendments
F21S. 77, except words printed, repealed by Licensing Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c. 13), Sch. 12 Pt. I
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C6Unreliable marginal note
C7Reference to Ireland to be construed as exclusive of Republic of Ireland: S.R. & O. 1923/405 (Rev. X, p. 298; 1923, p. 400), art. 2
78—90.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22E+W+N.I.
Textual Amendments
F23F23SCHEDULE 1E+W+N.I.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F24F24SCHEDULE 2E+W+N.I.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Textual Amendments
F24Sch. 2 repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1883 (c. 39)
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