Council defeats Crown Court appeal by private hire driver over revocation of licence

North Somerset Council, represented by Roy Light of St John’s Chambers, has defeated a Crown Court appeal brought by a driver over its licensing committee’s decision to revoke their licence with immediate effect.

The committee took the decision amid concern over complaints of aggression and one of inapropriate sexual language to a lone female passenger.

The council successfully resisted an appeal to the magistrates’ court. An application to have the suspension lifted pending further appeal was refused.

An order for costs was made in favour of the authority.

The driver further appealed to the Crown Court sitting in Bristol.

HHJ Patrick QC, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed the appeal with costs; concluding that “we have no hesitancy to say” that the council did not get it wrong and that the driver was not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire drivers’ licence.

Roy Light was instructed by Emma Anderson of the council’s legal department.