Luckett wins Sunday shopping case

A provincial court judge has acquitted the owner of Pete's Frootique in Bedford on charges of operating a store illegally on Sundays.

Pete Luckett was accused of operating a business that exceeded size limits under the province's Sunday shopping laws.

Pete's Frootique, the deli, and the juice stand in Sunnyside Mall are all owned by Luckett, but are separate corporations. And each one is under 4000 square feet in size, so the judge ruled they can legally open under the province's Sunday shopping legislation.

That may open the door for companies such as Sobey's or the Atlantic Superstore to also open on Sundays.

Greg Lenehan is the crown attorney who prosecuted the Luckett case. He says some of the other retailers could "restructure their individual outlets" the way Luckett has. The judge who ruled in his case describes Nova Scotia's Sunday shopping law as confusing, and says it's up to the province to amend it.