Shops (Early Closing Days) Act 1965

1 Selection of shop's early closing day by its occupier.

(1) The week day on which a shop is required to be closed for the serving of customers by one o'clock in the afternoon in pursuance of section 1(1) of the [1950 c. 28.] Shops Act 1950 (in this Act referred to as " the early closing day ") shall, subject to subsection (4) of this section, be fixed by the occupier of the shop in accordance with subsections (2) and (3) of this section; and accordingly subsections (2) and (3) of the said section 1 (which authorise local authorities to fix early closing days by order and provide for early closing days to be fixed by the occupiers of shops only in cases where they are not fixed by the local authority) are hereby repealed.

(2) The occupier of every shop to which the said section 1 applies—

(a) shall keep conspicuously displayed in the shop, so as to be visible from outside the shop at an entrance used by its customers, a notice specifying the day selected by him as the early closing day for the shop; and

(b) may, subject to the next following subsection, alter that day by specifying a different day in the notice aforesaid;

and the day for the time being specified in the notice shall be the early closing day for the shop.

(3) The occupier shall not be entitled to alter the early closing day for a shop except—

(a) after the expiration of the period of three months beginning with the date on which that day became or last became the early closing day for the shop; and

(b) where in accordance with the foregoing paragraph he has altered the early closing day for the shop from a particular day to another day and the period of one month beginning with the date of the alteration has not expired, by again specifying that particular day in the notice aforesaid;

and where the occupier of a shop has exercised as respects the shop the power conferred by paragraph (b) of this subsection he shall not be entitled to exercise that power again as respects the shop before the expiration of the period of three months beginning with the date on which he exercised it.

(4) Every order fixing an early closing day, in so far as it was made or has effect as if made in pursuance of section 1(2) of the [1950 c. 28.] Shops Act 1950 and is in force immediately before the date of the commencement of this Act,—

(a) shall, unless previously revoked, continue in force until the expiration of the period of three months beginning with that date as if this section had not been passed and shall then cease to have effect; and

(b) may be revoked during that period as if this section had not been passed;

and the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall not apply in relation to a shop during any period when an order is in force by virtue of this subsection as respects the shop. 2. Repeal of powers to change closing time on early closing days and to extend early closing day provisions to exempted shops.