Police set liquor license sale hours for Christmas weekend – but are they reasonable?

By Aaron Humes: By law, Christmas Day is one of two days in the entire year when most shops and establishments in Belize close – mostly because they sell liquor – and are not allowed to on that day and Good Friday.

But according to one Placencia-area establishment owner, while they do not necessarily disagree with regulating the sale of liquor, they would like to see the law adhered to and enforced and businesses not handcuffed to satisfy tradition.

According to Shane Kenny, co-owner of the Placencia Beach Club, his interest began after a situation on Good Friday earlier this year: “There was a lot of confusion around what’s been done in the past versus what the law actually says can be done by liquor license holders.” He added that in the past, holders of liquor licenses were arbitrarily told to keep their businesses closed on these days.

The applicable law, the Intoxicated Liquor Licensing Act, provides in Section 27 inter alia that license holders must observe the complete closure of businesses on Christmas Day for a “Publican General” (essentially supermarkets) or “Cider and Malt Liquor” (essentially beer and wine shops) license.

The Beach Club holds a Publican Special License as a restaurant and bar – you can be served alcohol without food there as opposed to a restaurant license, where liquor can only be served with food and it all must be consumed on the premises. Otherwise, the license allows for a closing time under the Act of midnight to 10 a.m. each day.

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams shared the official memo signed by Deputy Bart Jones and shared with formation commanders and sub-commanders which sets timings for Publican Special License at the regular time above on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day and closed between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Christmas Day.

Kenny says this is much better treatment than Placencia-area owners are used to but does open the door for confusion as to timing. But the law is clear that at any point where this notice says establishments are to be closed, “no liquor can be EXPOSED FOR SALE, SOLD, CONSUMED or DELIVERED on such premises… and NO persons other than the license-holder or the employees shall be on the licensed premises.”Restaurants are barred from selling liquor to customers without their buying and consuming a full meal at the establishment. Extensions to licenses remain at the discretion of the local liquor licensing board, with the police allowed objections.

Kenny says that while the decision is not, strictly speaking, the law, he will live with it. He does note that with more late flights and late bookings, businesses – and therefore the government – will lose revenue despite clinging to tradition.

And if you were looking for somewhere to watch sports and drink over the weekend on the Peninsula, Kenny advises, “Most places, at least here in Placencia, have already planned to close (told staff, did not not stock up for the day, etc) based on past tradition.”

As for the Commissioner, he observed, “Why are we so concerned about which liquor establishment can open? … We need less of liquor and more of God.”

That said, holders of Publican’s General licenses must be closed by ten p.m. on Saturday and through Christmas Day to Boxing Day on Monday, when they can open until 10 p.m.; malt liquor and cider license holders close at 11 p.m. from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day; shop and beer license holders close between 4 and 7 p.m. and after 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and throughout Christmas and Boxing Day; hotel, restaurant and nightclub license holders close at midnight and reopen at 7 a.m. (hotels) and 6 a.m. (restaurants) throughout the weekend; night club license holders close at midnight to 10 a.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and at 2 a.m. on Boxing Day and special license holders must remain closed between midnight and 10 a.m. on all three days.

Enjoy responsibly.

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