Bottlos can 'ignore' law

Nigel Adlam | The NT News | 6 July 2011

BOTTLE shop workers were yesterday told they could use their discretion over the Banned Drinkers Register.

Attorney-General Delia Lawrie said sales assistants could "use their common sense" when checking ID.

After being told tourists were being refused service because international driving licences don't scan, Ms Lawrie said: "If the person's clearly not a chronic alcoholic, then go ahead, proceed with sale."

But the CLP said this was "totally wrong"

Opposition alcohol policy spokesman Peter Styles said: "The law says that a driver's licence or other form of approved identification must be scanned against the register. If it can't be scanned for whatever reason, then the sale of alcohol can not proceed.

"That's the law - there's no room for discretion ... "

The Liquor Act says: "An authorised seller must not sell liquor to an individual without scanning an approved identification of the individual with the scanner."

Ms Lawrie said the operator could also manually check the customer's name and DOB against the banned drinker's register.