^aDe Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, U.K. E-mail: GDingwall@dmu.ac.uk

^*Some of the research for this paper was carried out while the author was a Visiting Scholar at Flinders University of South Australia.

Abstract

In a much-publicized attempt to reduce "alcohol-related" crime and disorder, the Government in England and Wales have radically reformed the licensing of alcohol and have introduced a range of other measures designed to curb problematic drinking. This article aims to analyse why "alcohol-related" crime and disorder came to dominate the criminal justice agenda at that time and why so radical a response emerged despite the extensive concerns of professional groups and the adverse experience of some other jurisdictions that have adopted similar strategies.