(1) The Secretary shall, within 14 days of the completion of the investigation under section 18, communicate in writing, a notice of a date, time and place of the meeting of the Board at which an application will be considered—
(a) to the applicant;
(b) to the Commissioner of Police; and
(c) to a person who submitted an objection and did not withdraw it, if such person's address is known to the Secretary.
(2) The Secretary shall cause a notice of a meeting of the Board to consider an application to be published in at least 2 newspapers printed and in general circulation in Saint Lucia. (Amended by Act 18 of 2018)
(3) In determining an application made under section 16 the Board shall have regard to—
(a) the character of the applicant;
(b) the viability of the proposed business;
(c) the financing of the proposed business;
(d) the suitability of location ownership of the location; (Amended by Act 18 of 2018)
(e) the conduct of the applicant during investigative process; (Amended by Act 18 of 2018)
(f) (Inserted by Act 18 of 2018 and deleted by Act 24 of 2019).
(Amended by Act 18 of 2018)
(4) An applicant shall bear the burden of proving his or her suitability to receive a licence.
(5) A copy of an objection to the grant of a licence which was received by the Secretary and which is not withdrawn shall be sent to the applicant along with the notice required under subsection (1).
(6) The following persons, either in person or by counsel, shall be entitled to be heard by the Board sitting in public—
(a) the applicant;
(b) a person who submitted an objection to the Secretary which was not withdrawn;
(c) the Commissioner of Police or his or her representative.
(7) Where an objection to the grant of a licence is received by the Secretary after the date specified in a notice under section 17(2) the Board may—
(a) refuse to entertain the objection; or
(b) entertain the objection on the condition that the objector gives to the Secretary and to the applicant a statement in writing of the grounds of the objection.
(Amended by Act 24 of 2019)