Date set for Supreme Court hearing in minimum alcohol pricing case

The Supreme Court will hear the dispute over the planned introduction of alcohol minimum pricing in Scotland in July, it has been confirmed.

The case of Scotch Whisky Association and others v The Lord Advocate and another (Scotland) has provisionally been listed for a two-day hearing on 24 and 25 July 2017.

In 2012 MSPs backed a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol.

Last October the Court of Session ruled against the Scotch Whisky Association which had sought to challenge the proposals.

The Court of Session, whose judgment is available here, concluded that the Lord Ordinary had directed himself correctly on European Union law, and that he had also applied that law accurately to the facts which he found demonstrated by the material before him.

However, the Court of Session did give the Association permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The case is to be heard by the Supreme Court in London and, following the hearing, judgment will be reserved until a later date.