Proposal made to scrap Sunday trading laws

A proposal has been made to scrap Sunday trading laws in Jersey, a move which would allow shops to open when they want.

Jersey's Economic Development Minister, Deputy Kirsten Morel, presented the proposal to the States on Tuesday.

The report showed the proposal would remove the need for permits to trade on Sundays and public holidays, and lift restrictions on delivery times, which the report said was "an administrative burden that no longer reflects the needs of businesses, consumers, or the wider economy".

If the Draft Shops (Regulation of Opening and Deliveries) (Jersey) Repeal Law 202- was approved, businesses would set their opening hours, but employment and nuisance laws would remain.

The proposal would look to repeal the the Shops (Regulation of Opening and Deliveries) (Jersey) Law 2010 and the subsequent Shops (Regulation of Opening) (Jersey) Regulations 2011.

Rather than layering amendments or regulations, repealing the 2010 Law would be the "simplest and most effective way to remove a known barrier to business whilst retaining enforcement mechanisms through existing legislation", the proposal said.

It added it would also provide equal opportunity for all shops to capture footfall and adapt for their customers.

It said the draft law would empower businesses to respond flexibly to consumer demand and "supports the government's strategic priorities of removing barriers to business and contributing to a continued effort to improve placemaking both in town and Island-wide".

The draft law would also look to address practical challenges in food retail.

A lot of food is imported to the Island and, in cases of delayed freight shipments, some shops must occasionally open to receive deliveries on currently restricted days, it said.

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