BLUE LAW

Blue Law

Blue Law

Blue Law

It is a law found in US and Canada, made to enforce the religious standards, especially Sunday is meant as a worship day so therefore shopping etc is closed on Sunday. Blue laws are made to prohibit special activities during a specific time and also enforced to implement religious principles. It's not always Sunday because in Israel its Saturday instead and for Muslims it's the month of Ramadan (Lovenheim, 2010).

Blue laws are also known as Sunday blue laws, Sunday statutes Sunday-closing laws. Many blue laws differ from country and city ordinances.

Origin of Blue Law

It dates back to March 3, 1975 where the phrase Blue Law was occurred as a phrase. In 1781 Samuel Peters described various laws which prohibit various activities from Saturday evening to Sunday night called Sunday Sabbath. Sunday Laws were strictly imposed so that people can observe religious practices and whosoever going against the laws was arrested for the activities such as playing cards, fixing wagon wheels or playing basketball. Many European countries still restrict on store opening hours on Sunday. Some of the activities that were prohibited are selling house wares, such as pans, pots; car dealerships; selling alcohol and certain retail activities (Laband, 1987).

Why they are still around

The states of US where the religious fundamentalism is strong, blue law are still observed there. The Supreme Court has ruled that laws such as blue laws do not interfere with free exercise of religion and also do not constitute the enterprise of a state religion. In Bergen, only grocery and liquor stores are opened on Sundays. Michigan Law prohibits pawnshops from being operated. North Carolina Law is applied on prohibition on hunting. Some laws are applied on general businesses and some are targeted on specific businesses,

Why (What part) is it ...