Home Secretary to Make Licensing Hours Order for Coronation

The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has confirmed that she will make a Licensing Hours Order under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 for the Coronation of King Charles III. The order will extend licensing hours from 11pm to 1am in certain circumstances.

Ms Braverman said “His Majesty The King’s Coronation will be a momentous occasion deserving of special celebration. That is why I am extending the licensing hours over this historic coronation weekend.”

Under section 172, the Secretary of State may make an order relaxing licensing hours for licensed premises in relation to a ‘celebration period’ to mark an occasion of ‘exceptional international, national, or local significance’. A Licensing Hours Order can be used to relax licensing hours in licensed premises during a period not exceeding 4 days. The order can be applied to all premises in England & Wales, or only to premises in one or more specific areas.

The move has been welcomed by various trade bodies it follows a consultation on whether to make the order, which started in December 2022 and concluded in January 2023.

The text of the order is yet to be published, but it is likely that it will be similar in nature to the last Licensing Hours Order for the Late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

We will bring you further details when the order is published.