News / Viking hearing
A JUDICIAL hearing into the proposed Viking Energy wind farm will resume on Tuesday.
Campaign group Sustainable Shetland raised the action in the Edinburgh Court of Session in an attempt to force the Scottish government to hold a public inquiry into the 103 turbine development that was granted planning consent last April.
The judicial review was adjourned at the end of January to allow the Advocate General who advises the UK government of Scottish law to decide whether or not he wanted to get involved in the hearing.
There were fears the case could be delayed for months due to a “devolution issue” which arose when the campaign group’s QC Sir Crispin Agnew of Lochnaw raised the European birds directive.
Since European legislation is an UK issue, the Scottish government’s QC Malcolm Thomson had argued the UK government should be invited to join the proceedings.
However, in March Lord Advocate Jim Wallace, the former Orkney and Shetland MP, advised that his office didn’t want to get involved at this stage.
The hearing before Lady Clark of Calton is expected to last for four days until Friday. A written determination is expected some time after that.
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