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MILLENNIUM LICENSING HOURS _______________
Lodged au Greffe on 27th April 1999 by the Tourism Committee
______________________________
STATES OF JERSEY
STATES GREFFE
175 1 9 9 9 P . 5 5
Price code: A
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -
(a) to agree to amend further the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974, to enable premises in respect of which an On' licence is held to remain open from their normal permitted opening hours on Friday, 31st December 1999, through to 9 a.m. on Saturday, 1st January 2000;
(b ) to charge the Tourism Committee to prepare the necessary legislation. TOURISM COMMITTEE
Report
People throughout the world celebrate the arrival of each New Year. Increasingly, liberalisation of licensing hours allows for extended trading at this time of celebrations, to the benefit of the public and the licensees alike.
In Jersey, premises providing entertainment and refreshments which includes alcohol are subject to licensing laws which dictate the hours licensed premises may operate.
Extensions to the permitted opening hours may be requested by application to the Bailiff , who may grant a special permit under Article 89 of the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974.
Extensions may, however, only be granted on an individual' basis. There is no provision for the Bailiff to grant blanket' approval.
Whilst individual applications for permits for isolated occasions are manageable, mass applications for New Year's Eve are unwieldy and time-consuming.
In the United Kingdom, the annual difficulties experienced by licensees, licensing authorities and the police have been recognisedThe Home Office has approved total deregulation of licensing hours in the United Kingdom, not only for this New Year's Eve, but for every year thereafter.
As this year's New Year's Eve celebrates the beginning of a new century, many On' licence holders in Jersey will be seeking extensions to their opening hours.
The licences involved are -
Fir s t C a tegory (Taverners)
Se co n d Category (Residential)
T h ir d C ategory (Restaurant)
Fo u rth C ategory (Comprehensive) Fif th C a tegory (Club)
Se v en th Category (Entertainment).
Many organisers are also in the process of organising events which will run through to the early hours of the New Year, including perhaps a New Year's breakfast.
The Tourism Committee is therefore proposing an amendment to the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974 which will permit premises holding an On' licence to remain open through to 9.00 a.m. on Saturday 1st January 2000, permitting the sale of alcohol until that time.
The Law Draftsman has indicated that the amendment can be prepared without any impact on the Legislation Programme. Nevertheless, it is felt appropriate to bring forward a proposal seeking States' approval In principle' in the first instance.