Liquor mart lawsuit set for June

The legal challenge of the public health coronavirus regulations by St James liquor mart owner Goutam Singh will go to trial in June. On Monday, at a video conferencing hearing Justice Kevin Ramcharan set June17-18 for trial of the judicial review claim filed by Singh after police threatened to shut down his liquor mart last week.

The injunction which Singh’s attorneys filed to stop the police from closing his business or interfering with him conducting sales during the stay-at-home period was withdrawn after the regulations were amended on Friday to include spirit grocer’s licences.Police had ordered Singh to close his liquor mart, warning him if he failed to do so he would be charged for breaching the health regulations.

Singh wants to stop the police from closing his business or interfering with him conducting sales. Singh’s judicial review application contends that the latest regulations gazetted on April 5, did not make it an offence to carry on the business of a liquor mart for the wholesale and retail of liquor and other beverages under a spirit grocer’s licence.

According to the application, the regulations provided for holders of spirit retailer, wine retailer, restaurant or wine merchant licences and orders the closure of their operations until April 30. Singh is represented by attorneys Gerald Ramdeen, Umesh Maharaj and Dayadai Harripaul.