Shops Regulation (CAP. 400 1

CHAPTER 400

THE SHOPS REGULATION ACT

Arrangement of Sections
Section

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3 . Powers of Cabinet.
4. Employment of shop assistants after closing hour

prohibited.
5. Hours of employment.
6. Exemption of members of family of owner or occupier.
7. Seats to be provided for female shop assistants.
8. Power of entry and inspection.
9 . Offence.

10. Penalty.
11. Suspension of operation of section 5.

SHOPS REGULATION

(9th August, 1941 .)

1. This Act may be cited as the Shops Regulation Act. Short

2. In this Act- Interpretation.

"shop" includes any premises or place where any trade
or business whether wholesale or retail is carried
on (but shall not include any factory or dep8t where
ice is sold, nor any garage or place where only petrol
or motor accessories are sold);

LAWS OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

2 CAP. 400) Shops Replation

"shop assistant" means any person wholly or mainly
employed in a shop in connection with the serving
of customers or the receipt of orders or the despatch
of goods.

Powers of
Cabinet. 3. (1) The Cabinet may by order (hereinafter refer-

red to as a "Shop Hours OrderH)-

(a) define and declare the shops to which this Act
shall apply;

( 6 ) fix the hours during which such shops may be
kept open throughout Antigua and Barbuda or any part
thereof on the several days of the week for transacting
business with the public;

(c) authorize the keeping open of any shop after
the hours fixed for closing in the case of emergency and
in such other circumstances as may be specified or
indicated in such order;

(d).make any incidental, supplemental or con-
sequential provisions which may appear necessary or
proper.

(2) Every order made under this Act may be amended,
varied, or revoked by a subsequent order made in like
manner.

Employment of
shop assistants

4. No shop assistant shall be employed in or about
after closing hour any shop except during the time fixed by any Shop Hours
prohibited. Order for the time being in force under this Act.

HOUIS of 5 . The number of hours during which any shop
employment.

assistant may be employed in any shop shall not exceed in
the aggregate in any week forty-five hours exclusive of the
time allowed for meals except as is hereinafter provided:

Provided that a shop assistant may be employed for
stock-taking for a period not exceeding five hours in any
one week in a year which period of five hours shall be in
addition to the time during which he may otherwise be law-
fully employed.

LAWS OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Shops Regulation (CAP. 400 3

6. Nothing contained in sections 4 and 5 shall apply Exemption of
members of

in the case of persons employed as shop assistants who are family of owner
members of the family of the owner or occupier of the shop Or
and who are maintained by him and dwell in his house.

7. The owner or occupier of any shop to which this i:::i&b;I
Act applies in which female shop assistants are employed female shop
shall at all times provide and keep therein a sufficient number assistants.
of suitable seats or chairs for the use of such female shop
assistants and shall permit them to use such seats or chairs
when not necessarily engaged in the work or duty for which
they are employed.

8. Any police officer may enter any shop to which ~;;::;~:~~~
this Act applies and make such enquiries as may be necessary
to ascertain whether the provisions of this Act have been
complied with.

9. Any person contravening the provisions of this Act Offence.
or of any order made thereunder shall be guilty of an offence
against this Act.

10. Any person found guilty of an offence against this
Act shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not
exceeding one thousand dollars.

1 . T h e provisions of section 5 shall in every year Suspension of
operation of

be suspended from the 19th to the 24th December both days ,,,,ion 5 .
inclusive.