Attorney General's Office Rules Cohasset By-Law Invalid

On July 3, 2023, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO) issued an opinion declaring that a by-law adopted by the Town of Cohasset as the Safe Navigation Bylaw was invalid because the Town of Cohasset did not have the authority to adopt it. 

This is important to the Town of Scituate because the Select Board and other town agencies believed that the Cohasset by-law was attempting to regulate and manage activities on and below Scituate waters. The AGO ruled that Cohasset could not regulate beyond its own town boundaries into Scituate waters, nor were they allowed to control what people put in or on top of tidal waters like boats, lobster cars or floats. This would have been devastating for many who rely on fishing for their livelihoods if this law had gone through as written. 

Please see the below Press Release and Attorney General Ruling.