ABSTRACT
You must allow plenty of time before the hearing to take the applicant through the standard questions, particularly if there are any doubts about their ability to speak English. First, check what happened at the site visit by the magistrates and whether they seemed worried about anything in particular, and what questions they asked. Check that there was a notice displayed at the premises about the application. The applicant should also have been interviewed by the police; check that this has in fact happened. You should also try to speak to the clerk to the justices who may be able to forewarn you of any problems. Unfortunately, this can be easier said than done in the busier courts, where a huge number of applications are block-listed to start at 10 am. Run through a list of people who are disqualified from holding a licence (and check that the disqualifications do not apply to the applicant(s). Get a general picture of the layout of the premises, where alcohol will be stored and displayed, what else will be sold there and so on. Find
out what the opening hours are, who else is going to be working in the premises, whether they have experience or have had training, and how often the applicant is going to be in attendance.
