Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “appropriate officer” means, for any public meeting or public procession in the Belize Judicial District, the Commissioner of Police or a senior police officer designated by him, and for any public meeting or public procession in any other judicial district, the senior police officer in such district; “designated place” means any place designated by the Minister in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 18 of this Act; “meeting” means any gathering or assembly of five or more persons convened or held for any purpose which includes any political purpose, but does not include any gathering or assembly convened and held exclusively for the lawful purposes of any public body, any gathering or assembly of members of any registered trade union convened and held exclusively for the lawful purposes of such trade union, or any gathering or assembly convened and held exclusively for social, cultural, charitable, recreational, religious, professional, commercial or industrial purposes; 5 “Minister” means the Minister of Government responsible for National Security; “noisy instrument” means any apparatus which is designed, adapted or intended for the reproducing of sounds over a wide area and includes a loudspeaker, amplifier, microphone, juke box and other similar instrument, apparatus or device; “offensive weapon” means any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him; “public body” means the Government or any local or public authority, and any board, commission, committee or other body which under any law is invested with functions of a public nature; “public meeting” means any meeting held in a public place; “public place” means any place to which whether for the time being or at all times the public or any section of the public are entitled or permitted to have access whether on payment or otherwise; “public procession” means any procession in, to or from a public place; “town” means any town specified in the Schedule to this Act and includes Belize City and the City of Belmopan.