Shops (Hours of Trading) Act, 1938

Hours of trading orders.

25.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Minister may, whenever and so often as he thinks fit, by order (in this Act referred to as an hours of trading order) do the following things, that is to say:—

(a) declare that a particular area specified in or delimited by such order shall be a trading area for the purposes of such order; and

(b) either—

(i) declare that it shall not be lawful for the proprietor of any shop situate in such trading area to open or keep open such shop for the serving of customers on any weekday before a specified hour or after a specified hour (not being earlier than the hour of 6 p.m.), or

(ii) declare that it shall not be lawful for the proprietor of any shop of a specified class (defined in such manner and by reference to such things as the Minister thinks proper) situate in such trading area to open or keep open such shop for the serving of customers on any weekday before a specified hour or after a specified hour (not being earlier than the hour of 6 p.m.);

and such order may contain different provisions in relation to different days and in relation to different periods of the year.

(2) The following provisions shall apply in respect of every hours of trading order made in relation to a particular area, that is to say:—

(a) such order may relate to more than one class of shops and in that case may contain different provisions in relation to each class of shops to which it applies;

(b) such order may divide such area into such and so many sub-areas as the Minister thinks fit, and in that case may contain different provisions in relation to each of such sub-areas;

(c) such order may contain provisions authorising the serving of customers outside the hours specified therein in cases of emergency and such other eases as may be specified in such order.

(3) The Minister may by order under this sub-section revoke or amend any hours of trading order or any order made under this sub-section.

(4) If whenever an hours of trading order is in force, the proprietor of a shop to which such order applies acts in contravention of any of the provisions of such order which are applicable to such shop, such proprietor shall, subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, be guilty of an offence under this section.