Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act.

Marginal note:Definitions

2 In this Act,

Chile

Chili

Chile has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Customs Tariff; (Chili)

Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Customs Tariff; (Costa Rica)

intoxicating liquor

boisson enivrante

intoxicating liquor means any liquor that is, by the law of the province for the time being in force, deemed to be intoxicating liquor and that it is unlawful to sell or have in possession without a permit or other authority of the government of the province or any board, commission, officer or other governmental agency authorized to issue the permit or grant the authority; (boisson enivrante)

NAFTA country

pays ALÉNA

NAFTA country has the meaning assigned to the expression NAFTA country by subsection 2(1) of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act; (pays ALÉNA)

province

province

province means any province in which there is in force an Act giving the government of the province or any board, commission, officer or other governmental agency control over the sale of intoxicating liquor therein. (province)

Marginal note:Prohibitions

• 3 (1) Notwithstanding any other Act or law, no person shall import, send, take or transport, or cause to be imported, sent, taken or transported, into any province from or out of any place within or outside Canada any intoxicating liquor, except such as has been purchased by or on behalf of, and that is consigned to Her Majesty or the executive government of, the province into which it is being imported, sent, taken or transported, or any board, commission, officer or other governmental agency that, by the law of the province, is vested with the right of selling intoxicating liquor.

• Marginal note:Suspension of paragraph (2)(b.1)

  (1.1) The operation of paragraph (2)(b.1) is suspended during the period in which paragraph (2)(b.01) is in force.

• Marginal note:Exceptions

  (2) The provisions of subsection (1) do not apply to

  • (a) the carriage or transportation of intoxicating liquor into and through a province by means only of a common carrier by water or by railway, including any necessary transfer by truck from railway car to ship or vice versa, if, during the time the intoxicating liquor is being so carried or transported, the package or vessel containing the intoxicating liquor is not opened or broken or any of the intoxicating liquor drunk or used therefrom;

  • (b) the importation of intoxicating liquor into a province by any person duly licensed by the Government of Canada to carry on the business or trade of a distiller or brewer where the intoxicating liquor is imported solely for the purpose of being used for blending with or flavouring the products of the business or trade of a distiller or brewer carried on by him in the province, and while kept by him in the province is kept in a place or warehouse that conforms in all respects to the requirements of the law governing those places or warehouses, and is used solely for blending with or flavouring the products of his business or trade as a distiller or brewer;

  • (b.01) the importation of distilled spirits in bulk into a province from a NAFTA country for the purpose of bottling by any person duly licensed by the Government of Canada to carry on the business or trade of a distiller, if the distilled spirits

    • (i) are entitled to the United States Tariff, the Mexico Tariff or the Mexico–United States Tariff in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff, and

    • (ii) while kept by the distiller, are kept by the distiller in a place or warehouse that conforms in all respects to the requirements of the law governing such places or warehouses;

  • (b.02) the importation of distilled spirits in bulk into a province from Chile for the purpose of bottling by any person duly licensed by the Government of Canada to carry on the business or trade of a distiller, if the distilled spirits

    • (i) are entitled to the benefit of the Chile Tariff in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff, and

    • (ii) while kept by the distiller, are kept by the distiller in a place or warehouse that conforms in all respects to the requirements of the law governing such places or warehouses;

  • (b.03) the importation of distilled spirits in bulk into a province from Costa Rica for the purpose of bottling by any person duly licensed by the Government of Canada to carry on the business or trade of a distiller, where the distilled spirits

    • (i) are entitled to the benefit of the Costa Rica Tariff referred to in section 49.1 of the Customs Tariff, and

    • (ii) while kept by the distiller, are kept by the distiller in a place or warehouse that conforms in all respects to the requirements of the law governing such places or warehouses;

  • (b.1) the importation of distilled spirits in bulk into a province from the United States for the purpose of bottling by any person duly licensed by the Government of Canada to carry on the business or trade of a distiller, if the distilled spirits

    • (i) are entitled to the United States Tariff in the List of Tariff Provisions set out in the schedule to the Customs Tariff, and

    • (ii) while kept by the distiller, are kept by the distiller in a place or warehouse that conforms in all respects to the requirements of the law governing such places or warehouses; or

  • (c) the transfer from one distillery to another of any spirits or liquor that is permitted by any Act or regulation in force or by special permit of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency.

• Marginal note:Regulations

  (3) The Governor in Council may, for the purposes of paragraph (2)(b.01), (b.02), (b.03) or (b.1), make regulations defining the expressions "distilled spirits", "in bulk" and "bottling".

Marginal note:Burden of proof

4 The burden of proving the right to import, send, take or transport, or to cause to be imported, sent, taken or transported, any intoxicating liquor into any province is on the person accused.

Marginal note:Punishment

5 Every person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction

• (a) for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, and in default of payment to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months;

• (b) for a second offence, to a fine of not less than two hundred dollars and not more than one thousand dollars, and in default of payment to imprisonment for any term not less than three months and not more than six months; and

• (c) for each subsequent offence, to imprisonment for any term not less than six months and not more than twelve months.

Marginal note:Prosecution in place where liquor imported

6 A prosecution for any offence under this Act may be brought and carried on, and a conviction had, in the city, town or place to, from or into which any intoxicating liquor is unlawfully imported, sent, taken or transported or in the place where the accused resides, but no prosecution shall be brought in any province against a person not within or residing in that province without the written approval of the attorney general of that province.

Marginal note:Search warrants

• 7 (1) If it is proved on oath before a recorder, two justices of the peace or a provincial court judge or, in the Province of Quebec, a judge of the Court of Quebec, that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that any intoxicating liquor is in any premises or place and that the intoxicating liquor is or has been dealt with contrary to this Act, that officer may grant a warrant to search the premises or place, including any Government railway, vehicle or steamship, for the intoxicating liquor, and, if the intoxicating liquor or any part thereof is found in the premises or place, to seize and bring it before him.

• Marginal note:Forfeiture

  (2) Where any person is convicted of any offence against this Act, the officer or officers so convicting may adjudge and order, in addition to any other penalty, that the intoxicating liquor in respect of which the offence was committed and that has been seized under a search warrant granted under subsection (1), and all kegs, barrels, cases, boxes, bottles, packages and other receptacles of any kind whatever found containing the intoxicating liquor, be forfeited and destroyed, and the order shall thereupon be carried out by the constable or peace officer who executed the search warrant or by such other person as may be authorized to do so by the officer or officers who have made the conviction.

Marginal note:Sacramental, medicinal and other purposes exempted

8 Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to forbid the importing, sending, taking or transporting, or causing to be imported, sent, taken or transported, into any province from or out of any place within or outside Canada of intoxicating liquor for sacramental or medicinal purposes or for manufacturing or commercial purposes other than for the manufacture or use thereof as a beverage.