Prof. Roy Light
Call 1992 (Gray’s Inn)
Qualifications LLB, LLM (London), M Phil, PhD (Cantab)
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Areas of Practice
Licensing
Nationally recognised as a leading practitioner in all areas of licensing, including enforcement proceedings, Roy is pleased to take instructions on all matters from simple preparatory advice for independent traders and residents to High Court challenges on behalf of multi-national corporations and local authorities. His extensive experience includes alcohol and entertainment, open-air festivals, race courses, gambling, taxis and firearms. Roy advises and acts for local authorities, police forces, independent operators and public corporations throughout England and Wales. Clients include supermarket chains, petrol companies, breweries, nightclub operators, gaming machine manufacturers, national stadiums and local and police authorities.
Recommendations
Consistently recommended by Chambers and the Legal 500 as a leader in the area of licensing. Recent comments include:
Chambers UK 2012
- “Roy is a well-known expert on licensing law who is praised by sources for the energy and enthusiasm he brings to his work. Noted as “a good academic lawyer, who is always worth instructing,” he is “very good at dealing with difficult clients.” Light regularly acts in enforcement cases, and handles licensing applications for public authorities and independent operators. One impressed solicitor notes: ‘We use him when the consequences of otherwise failing would be catastrophic for the client.’”
Chambers UK 2011
- “a skilled cross-examiner with an encyclopaedic knowledge of licensing law, who provides clear, sound advice”.
Chambers UK 2010
- Roy “is academically minded and an excellent advocate.” Light’s respect among the marketplace is the product of many years’ experience.
Chambers UK 2009
- “He impresses with his ‘strategic awareness and profound knowledge’ of the new Gambling Act. He has advised clients such as Punch Taverns and the Spirit Group on the legislation, pointing out its implications and opportunities. His deep understanding of his subject was flagged up by one client, who noted that ‘he resolved one seemingly knotty issue by pointing out the misdrafting of regulations concerning gaming machines to the Department For Culture, Media and Sport; that department then remedied its mistake.’ He is nationally recognised for his experience across a wide range of licensing matters.”
Legal 500 2011
- “Professor Roy Light is an ‘excellent licensing advocate’, whose ‘well-honed communication skills warrant particular mention’.”
Legal 500 2010
- “Professor Roy Light is highly rated for his licensing expertise.”
Recent reported cases
- R (on the application of Somerfield Stores Limited) v Hinkley Magistrates’ Court and Blaby District Council (interested party) [2011] Admin. LR 84, 32
- R (on the application of Murco Petroleum Limited) v Bristol City Council [2010] EWHC 1992 (Admin)
- Hall & Woodhouse Limited v The Borough and County of the Town of Poole [2009] EWHC 1587 (QBD)
- R (on the application of Bristol City Council) v Bristol Magistrates’ Court and Somerfield Stores (interested party) [2009] EWHC 625 (Admin)
- Hereford County Council v Bostwick [2007] LR 729
- Carmarthenshire County Council v Cooperative Group (CWS) Ltd & Tesco Stores [2007] LR 624
- London Borough of Haringey/Liverpool City Council v Marks and Spencer PLC/Somerfield Stores Ltd [2004] EWHC 1141 (QBD).
Direct Access
Roy is qualified to undertake Direct Access work in appropriate cases, for further information, please visit our Direct Access page.
Professional development
Roy is professor emeritus, Bristol Law School. He regularly chairs and speaks at national conferences and provides training for local authorities and others. An editorial board member of Licensing Review, Roy is also licensing contributor for the Solicitors Journal, licensing conference adviser for Central Law Training and a member of the Portman Group Independent Complaints Panel.
Some Recent Publications
- The key licensing cases of 2011 Local Government Lawyer (15 December)
- ‘Update Licensing’ Solicitors Journal (4 October 2011) 23-24
- ‘Proper conduct of appeals’, Licensing Review (86) July 2011, pp.9-11.
- ‘Update: Licensing’ Solicitors Journal (21 June 2011) 31-32
- Primary use test for garage licensing [84] Licensing Review, January 2011, 16-19
- ‘Update: Licensing’, Solicitors Journal (15 February 2011) 27-29
- ‘Alcohol Licensing, Crime and Disorder’ in M. Herzog-Evans (ed) the Transnational Criminology Manual (2010) Wolf Legal Publishing, Nijmegen pp. 297-312.
- ‘Update: Licensing’, Solicitors Journal (3 August 2010) 29-30
- ‘Appeals under the 2003 Act’, Local Government Lawyer, 21 July 2010
- ‘At the sharp end: costs in licensing appeals’ Local Government Lawyer, February 2010.
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (19 January 2010) 21-22
- ‘Alcohol licensing garage forecourt shops’ Local Government Lawyer, November 2009.
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (4 August 2009) 26-27
- ‘Licensing Book Reviews’, Solicitors Journal (31 March 2009) 26
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (January 2009)
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (17 June 2008) 20-22
- ‘Licensing Book Reviews’, Solicitors Journal (29 April 2008) 34
- ‘The Gambling Act 2005: Regulatory Containment and Market Control’, Modern Law Review (2007) 70(4)) 626-53
- ‘Gambling in Pubs’, Solicitors Journal (26 October 2007) 1354-6
- ‘Revised Guidance Under Licensing Act 2003’, Solicitors Journal (15 June 2007) 774-76
- ‘Introduction of Gambling Act 2005’, Solicitors Journal (18 May 2007) 629-30
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (16 June 2006) 771-73
- ‘Licensing Law Book Reviews’, Solicitors Journal (28 April 2006) 526-27
- ‘Criminal Liability for Underage Sales’, Licensing Review (January 2006) 11-15
- ‘Licensing reform: from order to chaos?’, Journal of Social Welfare & Family Law (December 2005) 406-19
- ‘Licensing Act 2003 in Force’, Solicitors Journal (18 November 2005) 44-5
- ‘Licensing Law Five Book Reviews’, Solicitors Journal (10 June 2005) 701-02
- ‘Local Authority Hearings Under The Licensing Act’, Solicitors Journal (26 April 2005) 498-99
- ‘The Licensing Act 2003: Liberal Constraint’, Modern Law Review (2005) 68(2) 268-85
- ‘The Appeals Process under the Licensing Act 2003’, Solicitors Journal (28 January 2005) 109-10
- ‘Licensing Update’, Solicitors Journal (19 November 2004) 42-44
- ‘Local authority decision-making and the Licensing Act 2003’, Local Governance (2004) 30(2) 55-66
