Coronavirus restrictions: are they legal

[Classicrock]

Of course it's legal. A bill was passed through parliament yesterday to make any of these measures legal. Question is if police can enforce them or anyone actually gets fined. I'm sure if many ignore this there will be a really serious clampdown like in European countries. I would like to see stripping bog rolls from supermarkets an imprisonable offense but of course this country is too soft (no pun intended). We have generations here who don't have the moral compass that got us through WW2. Judging from supply online I recon people have been buying freezers up and stuffing them full off food. It appears some people put money over staying alive. I wouldn't even get in one of those crowded tube trains.

[savvypaul]

There was plenty of looting and defeatism during The Blitz. Even a cursory glance through the Mass Observation archives from the time will confirm. The victors get to write the history books, though.

[Lindsayt]

The police enact legislation. As long as their is legislation it's legal.

So what is the exact piece of legislation that allows the UK Government to impose these restrictions?

And what if it contradicts another piece of legislation, for example the laws relating to Habeus Corpus or Human Rights?

[Daniel Quinn]

what ever went through parliament last week. we are still part of the human rights act for now, but is difficult to see how these emergency powers contradict these principals, but if you do think it does , youre on your own in challenging it because the criminal justice system is in consensus with government policy so nobody will assist you.

[NSNO2021]

I will leave the legal niceties to others..I think the measures should have been put in place a week ago because the positive effects can already be seen in our local supermarket which today are finally getting back to decent stock levels including rice and pasta.
I also note the government have just announced no systematic bailout for the airline's and fwiw I am happy with this. BA's owners are sitting on huge cash pile and have repeatedly said they don't want/need one whilst the forever grasping Branson is screaming for one. Well Richard here's an idea ~~~ if you and your business were registered for UK tax I might have some sympathy but you don't so go and ask the tax haven government your registration is with to bail you out. The same goes to all the other tax dodgers, this pandemic is going to cripple our finances so you need to pay your fair share or you know what

[Lindsayt]

what ever went through parliament last week. we are still part of the human rights act for now, but is difficult to see how these emergency powers contradict these principals, but if you do think it does , youre on your own in challenging it because the criminal justice system is in consensus with government policy so nobody will assist you.

Which brings us back to the historical precedents of the Bush Administration's illegal treatment of detainees, which was backed up for 2 years by their Justice Department.

And Nazi Germany.

And can anyone tell me what was passed through Parliament last week of relevance to this issue? In detail, and preferably in layman's terms as well as the original wording?

[slinger]

Here's a link to the bill itself, it's over 320 pages long. https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/20 ... ments.html

I'm not going to go through it all for you but there is this towards the beginning...

EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Lord Bethell has made the following statement under section 19(1)(a) of the Human Rights Act 1998:
In my view the provisions of the Coronavirus Bill are compatible with the Convention rights.

[Daniel Quinn]

Lawyers get paid £500 an hour to comment on legislation and the law. You want an answer to your question I'm afraid its do yourself or get your cheque book out. Even then it would be hypothetical until judicial decision.

The seriousness of the virus,the broad agreement over policy and the temporary nature of the legislation means the law as essentially been rubber stamped. Nevertheless we are still a pluralist democracy not nazi Germany. Any comparison would be naive and a little crass.

[scotty38]

I don’t always agree with DQ’s view of things but in this instance he is 100% bang on!

[Chunk McDaniel]

Comparisons to the Bush admin and Nazi Germany. Give us a break. The Government have to exercise extreme measures to save lives. Simple. I'm all for human rights but in these circumstances human life takes priority over all else. Including your or anyone elses freedom to go to the pub cinema theatre or wherever else you feel it is important to go. All my immediate family including myself are in the high risk group and would be very lucky to survive COVID19.