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
Curfew reasons are ‘delusional’
“What fresh hell is this?” Those words of Dorothy Parker, the American novelist, come back to mind as soon as the first minister embarks on a Coronavirus review.
Stay correct on Test and Protect
It looks like a very straightforward requirement. Hospitality businesses are now under a legal obligation to collect customers’ contact details to support the NHS Test and Protect service
Risk assessment for COVID a must
When lockdown was imposed at the end of March, Scottish Government regulations imposed extraordinary restrictions on civil liberties, the likes of which we hope never to see again
‘Killjoy’ outdoor drinking bans are here to stay
When the reopening of outdoor areas was kicked down the lockdown-easing route map last week, sections of a frustrated public found bright sunshine and the availability of takeaway pints an irresistible temptation. But almost immediately a row has broken out over “killjoy” byelaw bans
Coronavirus: Scottish Government must relax outdoor and distance rules to give trade a fighting...
Following last week’s Scottish Government road map announcement holding out the prospect of outdoor drinking in phase two from mid-June, licensing lawyers have been inundated with an unprecedented flurry of trade enquiries
Coronavirus: Hurdles ahead on trade’s path to reopening
The answers to these questions will play a pivotal role in the survival of thousands of hospitality businesses. When will the lockdown measures be eased? How can the trade viably adapt to social distancing challenges – and what are the regulatory obstacles?