Drunk and Disorderly Charges at University

A drunk and disorderly charge at university can have serious consequences for a student’s academic career and their future employment prospects. If you or a loved one have been subjected to disciplinary action, for being drunk and disorderly at university or have been arrested for being drunk and disorderly at university, then getting the right expert help is absolutely essential.

At IBB Law, we can provide expert specialist advice to a student facing disciplinary action for drunk and disorderly conduct at university. We regularly advise students on misconduct at university, to help them with university disciplinary action.

Our education lawyers only help students. We do not give advice to academic institutions, whether universities or schools. You can be sure that we are 100% on the side of students.

If you would like help from one of our specialist education solicitors either speak to Rachael on 01895 207230 or email Rachael at educationteam@ibblaw.co.uk.

Rachael can arrange a fixed fee initial consultation for you, and send you a link to our online booking suite, where you can select a day and time that is convenient for you to meet with one of our specialist education solicitors.

We also have a criminal defence team, who can give expert advice on criminal defence for drunk and disorderly offences

How we can help with drunk and disorderly charges at university

Our expert drunk and disorderly solicitors can help university students with:

• Responding to university investigations.
• Appealing against sanctions imposed by your university.
• Advice on the potential consequences for your future career.
• Criminal defence representation.

Whatever your situation, we are here to answer your questions and address your concerns.  Make sure you have the best possible legal representation to protect your future.

Our university drunk and disorderly solicitors’ expertise

Our expert education team of lawyers can provide proactive support if a university takes action against a student for being drunk and disorderly. We can advise you on your response to a university investigation or other action taken by a university. By making sure you fully understand your rights and options, we can secure the best possible outcome for your circumstances.

We can also help a student following an arrest. We have expert criminal defence solicitors.

No matter how challenging your situation might seem, we have the skills, knowledge and experience to make sure you are treated fairly.

Common questions about drunk and disorderly charges at university

Will a drunk and disorderly charge affect my university placement?

While students will be worried about the criminal consequences of being arrested for being drunk and disorderly, punishment from their university can often be the bigger concern.

As a student, the biggest issue is likely to be whether you are considered to have violated your university’s code of conduct. Being drunk and disorderly on university property could be considered a breach of such a code, but exactly what the consequences might be will depend on the circumstances, including how serious your disorderly behaviour is judged to have been.

Your university will normally carry out an investigation and come to a decision about what, if any, sanctions are appropriate. Sanctions the university might consider range from an official warning or being banned from university bars to academic suspension or even expulsion from your course, in the most serious cases.

If you are planning to enter a regulated profession, such as medicine, accountancy, nursing, midwifery, architect, social worker, pilot, veterinary surgeon or law, a drunk and disorderly charge could be more problematic. You would likely need to disclose the offence to your regulator. This could potentially prevent you from following your chosen career or, at least, require extra steps, such as providing additional supporting references.

Given how damaging this type of offence can be, it is a good idea to speak to a specialist drunk and disorderly solicitor specialising in education law, at the earliest opportunity.

How long would a drunk and disorderly conviction stay on my record?

A drunk and disorderly conviction becomes spent after five years, but you may still need to disclose it when undergoing a DBS check. This means that a drunk and disorderly offence at university can potentially impact your employment prospects even many years after the offence occurred.

For this reason, it is important to carefully consider whether to accept the charge or fight it, but you should always make sure you have expert legal advice before making a decision.

Does drunk and disorderly show on a DBS check?

Yes, a drunk and disorderly offence will show up on a DBS check. You will also usually be required to disclose this type of offence when applying for certain jobs, including those that involve working with children or vulnerable people. Our specialist solicitor can advise you on DBS records.

What is a drunk and disorderly charge?

A drunk and disorderly charge means that someone has been arrested for being both drunk in a public place and for behaving in a ‘disorderly manner’.

Whether an offence has been committed will depend on whether the following three key elements of the offence have been met:

• Was the alleged offender drunk? The general legal principle for whether someone is drunk is where it is judged that alcohol has affected their ‘steady self-control’.
• Were they in a public place? Halls of residence, as well as university buildings and grounds, will normally be classed as public places, but private student accommodation will not. Much depends on the whether, and also the extent, to which the public have access.
• Was their behaviour disorderly? What exactly is classed as disorderly behaviour will depend on the situation and the judgement of individual police officers, but generally, it refers to behaviour that is ‘causing a public disturbance’.

Given that whether someone was drunk and if their behaviour was causing a public disturbance can be subjective, having the right legal advice can significantly enhance your chances of avoiding a conviction.

Is drunk and disorderly a criminal offence?

Yes, being drunk and disorderly is a criminal offence under Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967.

What is the penalty for a drunk and disorderly offence?

Drunk and disorderly sentencing guidelines specify that, on conviction, the offender can receive a fine of anywhere from Band A to Band C, where Band A is 50% of the offender’s ‘relevant weekly income’ and Band C is 150% of their relevant weekly income, with the maximum possible fine being £1,000.

If the offender’s weekly income is less than £120 (after tax and national insurance), then their relevant weekly income is deemed to be £120.

Other criminal consequences that one might face for a drunk and disorderly charge include:

• A caution
• A fixed penalty notice
• A conditional discharge
• An Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
• A Drinking Banning Order (DBO)

On top of the potential for a drunk and disorderly fine and other criminal consequences, students will also need to be prepared for the possibility of their university taking disciplinary action against them. For this reason, working with expert drunk and disorderly student solicitors with experience in educational law is highly recommended.

Our university drunk and disorderly solicitors’ fees

We offer a fixed fee initial video consultation with one of our specialist solicitors  to discuss your needs and see how we can help. We will listen to your story, look at documents you have, and advise how we can help, in response to disciplinary action being taken by the university.

Should you want further help, after the initial online fixed fee consultation, we will provide a realistic cost estimate for dealing with your matter. Any work carried out will always be agreed upon with you in advance, giving you certainty and transparency over the costs involved.

The exact cost of our services will depend on the precise nature of your problem, the amount of time required to provide you with our assistance, and level of expertise of the solicitor needed to support you effectively. We will be happy to discuss this with you when you contact our team.

For more information on our education law pricing, please get in touch.

Get clear, expert advice on drunk and disorderly offences at university

The information given here is intended for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.

To find out more about how we can help with drunk and disorderly offences at university, please contact our education law team at educationteam@ibblaw.co.uk or call Rachael on 01895 207230.