Chief Minister Warns Bar Owners to Keep Under-16s Out of Bars

Chief Minister Warns Bar Owners to Keep Under-16s Out of Bars

Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh has issued a firm reminder to bar owners and license holders in Sierra Leone regarding the prohibition of persons under the age of 16 from being present in licensed bar areas during permitted hours. This warning underscores a key provision of the country's Liquor Licensing Act, a law that has been in force since 1963.

The Liquor Licensing (Amendment) (No. 2) Act of 1963 introduced Section 32A to the principal Liquor Licensing Act, Cap. 238. This section mandates that license holders prevent individuals under sixteen from entering the bar while the premises are operational.

A breach of this law constitutes an offence, unless the license holder can demonstrate that they implemented reasonable measures to stop the child's entry or genuinely believed the individual was at least 16 years old.

Chief Minister Warns Bar Owners to Keep Under-16s Out of Bars

The legislation permits a few specific exceptions: when the child is the license holder’s own, when the child resides on the premises but is not employed there, or when the child must pass through the bar to access another part of the building with no alternative route.

Establishments such as railway refreshment rooms or similar venues, where the sale of alcohol is not the primary function of the business, are also exempt.

Penalties for contravention of the Act include a fine of up to five pounds for a first offence, escalating to a maximum of twenty pounds for subsequent violations. In legal proceedings, an individual's apparent age of under sixteen is accepted as fact unless evidence to the contrary is presented.

The Chief Minister has strongly encouraged license holders to begin routinely checking national identification cards. He also advised all patrons aged sixteen or over who wish to enter a bar to carry their ID to verify their age.