N.Z. Laws On Drinking Hours Reviewed

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30998, 2 March 1966, Page 14

N.Z. Laws On Drinking Hours Reviewed

The drinking hours which exist today for licensed hotels were established by the sale of Liquor Restriction Act, 1917. Before that Act, hotels could remain open until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. every night except Sunday. The question of hotel drinking hours is raised in a letter to the editor of “The Press" by a correspondent, “Moderate Drinker," who says that he can remember 60 years ago when 6 am. to 11 p.m. were the drinking hours. He asks when these hours were introduced, and when the earlier closing hour was introduced.

The Licensing Act of 1873 has no provision requiring hotels to be closed during specific hours. An amendment to that Act. passed in 1874, grant d an extension under the licence to “sell and dispose at any volunteer encampment, races, fair market, games regatta, cricket or public amusement, not longer than four days.” An additional clause provided that “Magistrate on any occasion of public ball, or dinner, or other festivity, may permit any house or premises to be kept open for a period as he thinks fit.” The Licensing Act of 1881, under section 30, provided that a “publican’s licence shall authorise the licensee to sell and dispose of any liquor, in any quantity, on the premises therein specified, between the hours of days from midnight until six in tlie morning and ten at night.” In addition, section 37 of that Act provided that “the Licensing Committee may at any annual or quarterly licensing meeting (1) grant to any holder of a publican’s licence, on payment of an additional fee of ten pounds, and extension of the time prescribed for the sale of liquors until —twelve o’clock at night, on being satisfied of its being for the benefit and convenience of the public....” Section 154 of the same Act (1881) provided that “all licensed premises shall be closed as follows, that is to say—on Saturday night from ten o’clock until 6 o’clock on the following Monday morning and (b) on the nights of all other days from midnight until six o’clock on the following morning.” Fee Reduced

An amendment to the Act of 1881, passed in 1882, provided that “an extension of time for the sale of liquor

until 11 o’clock at night may be granted by a Licensing Committee under the provisions of section 37 of the principal act (1881), on payment of an additional fee of five pounds.” The Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act. of 1893 provided for an extension of hours from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. through the Licensing Committee, subject to it being satisfied the extension was for the benefit and convenience of the public.

These hours continued until the Sale of Liquor Restriction Act which came into force on December 1. 1917. Section one of that Act provided that "all licensed premises shall be closed as follows:

“On Saturday night from six o’clock until nine o’clock of the following Monday mornings: on the nights of all other days from, six o’clock until nine o’clock of the following morning.”

The Sale of Liquor Restriction Act (1917) originally contained a clause which said that the restricted drinking hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) would continue until six months after the end of the First World War—the Act being a wartime measure. However this clause was subsequently repealed, and the restrictions in the Act made indefinite.

The hours of drinking (9 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on Sundays) were re-enacted in the Licensing Act of 1908. The hours remained the same throughout the years and were re-enacted in the most recent principal licensing act, the Sale of Liquor Act, 1962.