Selling alcohol to a minor means a Dunedin bar will have to shut its doors for two days next month.
The Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (Arla) has suspended the on-licence for Branson Bar in St Andrew St after alcohol was sold to two underage girls during a controlled purchase operation in August last year.
The bar's manager, Jeffrey Smith, also faces a three-week suspension of his manager's certificate following the hearing held in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Mr Smith agreed a mistake was made by a former employee but he had since made changes aimed at helping staff more easily determine if a person was 18.
As the 17-year-old was born in 2000 the staff member only checked the year, not the date, on her licence, he said.
Judge Kevin Kelly said the staff member had made a ''significant mistake'' and selling alcohol to a minor was a serious matter which could not go unpunished. Changes made to processes since the incident were ''laudable''.
The bar's licence will be suspended for 48 hours from May 9. Mr Smith's suspension will start on the same day.
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Comments
This is a weak law look at what Aussie does for similar, Go on make one for the closure days Easter Friday, a pathetic punishment, the paper work and wages of those doing it and the process to achieve this would have cost more. If you are going to have a law make sure the punishment makes others think twice before they dot he same other wise scrap the law. All this is saying yeah we will take our chances