Sundays by law are already public holidays

July 30, 2010 | By | Filed Under Letters 

Dear Editor,
I observed in the newspapers and in the Official Gazette a notice under the signature of Mr. Clement Rohee in which he purports to declare Sunday 1st August, 2010 to be a public holiday. This notice states that it is made pursuant to the Public Holidays Act Cap. 19:07.
The Public Holiday Act is a short Act – only 7 sections. Section 3(1) identifies certain days as public holidays. At the very beginning of that section it is stated: “the following days shall be public holidays, namely – every Sunday etc”
Under section 6 of the Act, the Minister may by notification in the Official Gazette appoint any day to be observed as a public holiday in addition to or in substitution for any day mentioned in section 3.
So since Sunday is already a public holiday under section 3 of the Act, there was no need for Mr. Rohee to so declare it again. He is only required to do so if, he was substituting Monday for or making Monday a holiday in addition to Sunday.
I think that Mr. Rohee would have been better advised to simply issue a press release stating that the Emancipation Day holiday would be observed on Sunday the 1st August, 2010. But to attempt to declare a day a public holiday that is in fact already by law a public holiday is somewhat ridiculous.
I think that the goat that Mr. Rohee said did not bite him might in the circumstances consider itself fortunate.
Bibi K. Nandram

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