Brethren hall a ‘church’: Kerala High Court rejects appeal to operate liquor bar nearby

The Kerala High Court has ruled that a Brethren Assembly Hall qualifies as a "church" under the state's liquor laws, rejecting a hotel's appeal to open a bar nearby. The court upheld restrictions on the hotel, which sought to operate a bar about 80 meters away from the assembly hall. The court stated that the hall fit the definition of a church under the Kerala Foreign Liquor Rules of 1953, which specifies that a "church" is a public place where Christians offer prayers.

The dispute arose in 2008 when the hotel proposed a bar hotel in a building near the assembly hall, and the excise authorities rejected its licence application. The hotel then filed a revision plea, but the high court held that the hotel's argument that the hall was not a public place was not sufficient. The court also dismissed the hotel's claim that the Town Brethren Assembly was not a registered society and lacked the right to file the writ petition, emphasizing that the issue was whether the hall was a public place where prayers were offered by Christians.