Potable Spirits Act

Chapter 77

Potable Spirits Act
This is the latest version of this Act.
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Uganda

Potable Spirits Act

Chapter 77

  • Published
  • Commenced on 15 October 1965
  • [This is the version of this document at 31 December 2023.]
  • [Note: This legislation was revised and consolidated as at 31 December 2000 and 31 December 2023 by the Law Reform Commission of Uganda. All subsequent amendments have been researched and applied by Laws.Africa for ULII.]
  1. [Amended by Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023 (Act 17 of 2023) on 28 July 2023]
An Act to provide for the control of the compounding of potable spirits and for related matters.[Act 31/1965; Cap. 97 (Revised Edition, 2000); Act 17/2023]

1. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—compounding spirits” and its cognate expressions means to communicate any flavour to or to mix any ingredient or material with spirits but not so as to denature the spirits;currency point” has the value assigned to it in the Schedule to this Act;denatured spirits” means spirits mixed with any substance so as to render the mixture unfit and incapable of being readily converted so as to be fit for human consumption as a beverage;licensing officer” means a person appointed by the Minister to be a licensing officer for the purposes of this Act;spirits” includes spirits of any description and all mixtures, compounds or preparations made with spirits, but does not include any denatured spirits.

2. Compounding spirits without licence

(1)Subject to this section, no person shall compound for profit or sale any spirits otherwise than in accordance with a licence issued under section 3.
(2)Any person who compounds spirits without a licence issued under section 3 commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding one hundred twenty currency points or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or both.
(3)Subsections (1) and (2) shall not apply to the bona fide compounding of spirits
(a)in any canteen, club, institute, mess or similar institution not conducted by a private individual for personal profit, for the lawful sale of the spirits to the members only of the canteen, club, institute, mess or similar institution for consumption therein;
(b)in any vessel in territorial waters or in any aircraft for the lawful sale of the spirits to any passenger or officer or member of the crew of the vessel or aircraft for consumption in the vessel or aircraft;
(c)in the course of the lawful preparation or administration of medicine by a medical practitioner registered under the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, a veterinary surgeon registered under the Veterinary Surgeons Act or a pharmacist registered under the Pharmacy and Drugs Act;
(d)in any circumstances or in any other case in respect of which the Minister, by statutory instrument made for that purpose, has granted an exemption from this section.

3. Issue of licences

The licensing officer may, upon an application made for that purpose to him or her, issue a licence for the compounding of spirits under this Act subject to such terms and conditions, including the specification of formulae, as he or she thinks fit.

4. Regulations

The Minister responsible for finance may, by statutory instrument, make regulations—
(a)prescribing the form of licences and the fees to be paid for a licence;
(b)for the duration and cancellation of licences; and
(c)generally for better carrying into effect the provisions and purposes of this Act.

5. Power to amend Schedule

The Minister responsible for finance may, by statutory instrument, with the approval of Cabinet, amend the Schedule to this Act.

Schedule (Sections 1, 5)

Currency point

A currency point is equivalent to twenty thousand shillings.
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History of this document

31 December 2023 this version
Chapter 77

Revised Laws 2023

Consolidation
31 December 2000
Chapter 97

Revised Laws 2000

Consolidation
Read this version
15 October 1965
Commenced

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