Imperial Tobacco's legal bid to challenge Scottish Government plans to ban the open display of cigarettes has been rejected.

Three appeal judges, including Scotland's most senior judge, the Lord President, Lord Hamilton, turned down the challenge by Imperial Tobacco which claimed the measure went beyond the Scottish government's legislative powers. Imperial Tobacco claimed that the government was trying to meddle with issues which are reserved to Westminster Parliament.
Imperial Tobacco's challenge against the legislation was originally rejected by Lord Bracadale in 2010.
This latest ruling said that the measures in the Tobacco and Primary Medial Services (Scotland) Act 2010 were not outside the scope of the Scottish Parliament's powers. Lord Hamilton said similar legislation has already been enacted in England and Wales, and compared the measure with laws regulating the sale of alcohol, or the public smoking ban.
The introduction of laws banning the display of tobacco products has been delayed to await the outcome of this case.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said he was "delighted" with the ruling, adding that the display ban would help, "prevent the children of today becoming tomorrow's smokers." (pi)