Licensing News
Licensing board uncertainty following local authority election
in May
It is fair to say that the formation of many licensing boards
across Scotland (including for example Edinburgh) has been slower
than would otherwise be the norm owing to the political tensions
arising from the snap general election. Accordingly, it is too
early to provide a view on whether 'new boards' (some may
contain many of the same pre-election members) will begin licensing
board policy consultations as a matter of urgency or whether the
status quo will remain through 2017 and into 2018. Watch this
space...
Minimum unit pricing case
The Scotch Whisky Association and Others' challenge to the
competence of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act has had
an appeal diet assigned for 24 and 25 July 2017 before the UK
Supreme Court in London. Although it is too early to say
definitively, a decision could reasonably be expected by late
autumn 2017.
