Nightclubs: singled out or just the beginning?
The Scottish Government's passport plans are fraught with issues and require clarification, writes Jack Cummins.
An occasionally vexing problem
THE occasional licence: a lifeline for hundreds of businesses trading in outside areas during the pandemic – but also one of the most problematic parts of licensing legislation.
Don’t fall into the offences trap
Past convictions can be a sticking point in applications
A framework for confusion
The constantly-changing road map now referred to “certain outdoor live events” being permitted, giving operators the false hope that, subject to licence conditions, these could be staged with two-metre distancing
A song that’s tough to follow
There’s precious little good news around for the trade, but the reopening of music venues in level one and two areas has allowed a further easing of the so-called ‘music ban’ in hospitality premises permitted to serve alcohol indoors.
Certification is a tricky issue
COVID status certificates could create a number of challenges
By Jack Cummins
BELIEVE it or not, there is a precedent for mandatory inoculations.
The Vaccination Act of...
Legal fight was a non-starter
The courts are unlikely to second-guess difficult health decisions
Licensed trade is a soft target
The pandemic has taken a wrecking ball to the hospitality sector, now staring into an abyss; and there’s a question many are asking: “Is the licensed trade being offered up as a sacrificial lamb in pursuit of an anti-alcohol strategy?"
Making a meal of COVID levels
Back in 2013, Allan Gallacher, a Glasgow barman, found himself in the dock after allegedly breaching ‘breakfast licence’ rules
Circuit breaker is more like a bomb blast
It may be cutely called a “circuit breaker” but a ban on the sale of alcohol in almost every hospitality setting is more accurately described as the equivalent of dropping an atomic bomb on thousands of businesses across the country
Columns
Jack Cummins
Andrew Dowson
Neil Morrison
Luke Richardson
