Bill Tabled To Allow Liquor Sales On Sunday
A bill seeking to amend the Liquor Licence Act 1974 to permit the “sales of intoxicating liquor” on Sundays in grocery and liquor stores was tabled in the House of Assembly on Friday [Nov 29]. The bill said:
Clause 2 amends the Third Schedule to the Liquor Licence Act 1974 to extend the permitted hours in respect of a Licence (A) holder so as to allow the sale of intoxicating liquor on a Sunday in a grocery or liquor store during the hours of 8am to 9pm (the same as permitted for weekdays and Saturdays). The Sunday hours are subject to the permitted hours of operation under section 11 of the Public Holidays Act 1947.
Government first signaled their intent to allow Sunday liquor sales in the Throne Speech earlier this month.
The Throne Speech said: “The prohibition of alcohol sales by retail outlets on Sundays has been a feature of Bermudian society for a long time. However, times have changed. Locals and tourists alike wish to be able to purchase beer, wines and spirits on a Sunday.
“Accordingly, Government will amend the Liquor Licence Act 1974 to allow for the purchase of wine and spirits on Sundays from retail outlets that are permitted to operate in accordance with the Public Holidays Act 1947.”
The Liquor Licence Amendment Bill 2013 is below [PDF here]:
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Do Amendment Acts take effect immediately or have to be passed by the Senate and receive the assent of the Governor 1st?
same process, Senate then Governor signs off…so about two weeks from now you can go get a six pack at the Market Place after Church!
Actually it has to be passed by the House of Assembly, which should be Friday if the Government pushes it; then the overprints (signatures) and the Bill has to be sent to the Senate, then tabled in the Senate. Then the following meeting the second stage of the bill is implemented, which means the Bill is debated and passed by the Senate. Then the overprints and Bill are sent to the AG Chamber for re-vetting and then sent to Governor for his signature, finally the Bill is now assent, making it a law now an Act. This Liquor Bill will take approximately three weeks.
You have the process all wrong- a bit late with my reply, but don’t want people relying on the information you provided as fact.
House of Assembly:
There is a First Reading- during which the title of the Bill is read.
There is a Second Reading, about 2 weeks later- during which the Bill is debated and goes to Committee (in the same sitting) to be further debated clause by clause. Once passed by the Committee, the Bill is sent to Senate.
Senate follows the same process:
First Reading- just title
Second Reading- debate and if passed message sent to Governor for Assent.
So those who forgot to pick up a little spirit on Saturday can do it on Sunday now. No big deal.
Finally!
Whats the deal. This act is good for alot of reasons. Businesses get to open on sunday bringing in more work for employees. More work means more money. And finally you dont have to buy 7 dollar beer on front street on a sunday. I dont drink so i dont care but good job oba. Never rated the oba and still dont but have to give credit were it is due. Thanks 40 thieves
Including the tourist who arrived on Saturday evening. Bigger deal.
The ndc’s recently released study showed children are drinking sooner (age 7),the majority of accidents and fatalities are linked to alcohol,and 7.6 million liters are consumed here per year (what is the volume of our pool at the National center?) is the answer to make it more easily available? We only instituted ID checks this year, 2013, to illustrate the lack of any serious will to get a handle on what is undeniably a problem. If we are going to rely on anecdotal evidence that tourists want to buy liquor on sunday ,then let’s end cannabis prohibition since it is a far safer alternative and there is anecdotal evidence many tourists(and many locals) would like to partake in the Hola Herb too.
Oh yes. You have plenty of complaints about the purported social effects of alcohol, and your blindingly obvious solution is to make cannabis available freely and unrestricted to anyone that wants it. Yeah, what a great plan that is.
Thanks , I’m glad you have recognized the hypocrisy of your previous line of reasoning , but it still rears it ‘s ugly head when you refer to the proven , very real and damaging side effects of alcohol as “purported”. Also I never said herb should be available to everyone recreationally and an age restriction (not including as medicine) makes sense . And If it were legal I am sure we wouldn’t wait 400 years to enforce ID checks like we have with liquor either . So put that in your pipe and smoke it !
you are boring go away. like gambling, if you don’t like it don’t do it but don’t tell me what to do
Nobody is telling you what to do. Can you actually read? Where in the above post is sage telling you what to do?
You still, sage, criticise the social effects of alcohol, while ignoring the social effects of marijuana.
And stop the “400 years” sh1t. It makes you look like an even bigger moron.
ALL of the social effects of cannabis stem from it’s prohibition. You accuse sage of wanting cannabis to be available freely & unrestricted when I don’t see anywhere that sage states this. I find this shows how very ill informed & naive you are since prohibition makes cannabis AVAILABLE FREELY & UNRESTRICTED. Some dealers will have enough morals not to sell to kids but the wankstas west & central don’t give a rats backside wether there costumers are 14 or 41. This is were social effects come from & the only thing that will stop it is legalisation & proper regulation. The police can arrest dealers all they want but another one will come after just as prohibition of alcohol backfired in the 30′s for America prohibition of cannabis has backfired for decades.
Freely? Unrestricted? It is currently unrestricted being illegal and you are happy about that? You like that children can by pot from gang drug sellers? You are okay with the way things are? Um okay. Legalization would sell it like alcohol and put an age requirement on it like alcohol. Alcohol is not free and it is not unrestricted so what you are saying really doesn’t make sense per usual.
Children are going to experiment, but where are their parents if they are drinking at age 7?!!?! 14-16 ok, but SEVEN years old?!
Nothing compliments a fat stoggie with a shot or two of Cock-spur on a Sunday afternoon. Please bring back the paper matches……
“paper matches” ?
Just use toilet paper cut offs or paper towel.
Great stuff.
Alcohol is the MAJOR factor behind 90% of BDA’s road fatalities & you mean to tell me were promoting more sales even on a Sunday? Smh poor BDA
@Smh.
Your logic is flawed. If somebody wants to get their hands on liquor, they can whether it is sold on a Sunday or not.
I would venture that most people that buy liquor in a store, are going to take it HOME and consume it.
I would also venture that most of the people killed in road fatalities were drinking at a BAR or CLUB, so I highly doubt this law will increase the island’s road fatalities.
People just need to be sensible and know their limits.
You do realize that the retail outlets now permitted to sell alcohol on sunday include gas stations , right ? I hope this won’t increase serious accidents , but the potential is there , to me it just shows that this issue isn’t taken very seriously by most .
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/11/30/5-jaw-dropping-facts-about-legal-marijuana.aspx