A senior judge yesterday passed an order preventing the Scottish Government from introducing a law aimed at promoting fairness between tied pub tenants and landlords.
Lord Malcolm issued an interim interdict preventing ministers enacting the Tied Pubs Scotland Act (2021).
The private members bill was brought forward by Neil Bibby MSP.
He said it was "shameful" that pub companies were attempting to block fairer laws and an "insult" to tenants.
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the BBC it remained "fully committed" to implementing the act.
A spokesperson for the pub companies welcome the decision of the courts and described the legislation as "wholly unnecessary and punitive".
Obliged
Mr Bibby, a Scottish Labour MSP, had argued tenants of pubs tied to a particular brewery were obliged to buy alcohol from them at inflated prices.
The act intended to establish a more-equal relationship between such tenants and pub company owners, creating a "Scottish pubs code" and an adjudicator for disputes.
Pub owners previously lost a challenge at the Court of Session to stop it being enacted into law.
But on Monday, lawyers for Greene King and Punch Taverns returned to the Court of Session seeking an interim interdict against introducing the legislation.
The firms, represented by advocate Aidan O'Neill KC, asked for an order to be passed, which Lord Malcolm agreed to.
Mr Bibby maintained the Scottish Government was right to implement the legislation.
The pub companies had previously claimed the act was outside the legislative competence of the Holyrood parliament and was "not law".
They maintained that provisions of the act related to competition, which was a matter reserved for the Westminster parliament.
FTSE 100
The UK's top share index, the FTSE 100, was down 22 points at 7,912 shortly after opening this morning, following yesterday's 56-point gain.
Brent crude futures were 0.79% higher at $83.10 a barrel.
Companies reporting today
- Full-year results: Abrdn, Croda International, Man Group, Ocado Group, St James’s Place, Travis Perkins