Supreme Court upholds Adelaide’s 3am lockout

A legal challenge to Adelaide’s 3am lockout was rejected by the Full Court of the Supreme Court.

The city’s Palace nightclub argued that the code, introduced in October 2013, was invalid because it contradicted its licence conditions. The Court maintained Parliament was within its rights.

Attorney-General John Rau commented after the ruling: “Patrons have responded well to the changes introduced and now it is time for these traders to get on board.”

He said that since last October, there was a 25% drop in arrest for public drunkenness and a 29% drop in alcohol-related hospital admissions.

This ruling will come as a blow to the Sydney music community, who are currently lobbying for a live music exemption to the current lockout laws in place.

The ruling also comes after the Queensland Government’s forward-thinking Safe Night Out plan – which offers solutions to combat drunken violence, many of which involve re-education – was hailed as “the most comprehensive and well-thought out plan seen in Australia” by the Valley Liquor Accord, which was formed to represent clubs and live music venues in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley entertainment precinct.