“This is an emergency, and so emergency legislation is necessary. But it is worth noting that this legislation is in parts the most illiberal statutory instrument since at least the Second World War. And in other parts, it is the most vague legislation since the Dangerous Dogs Act.”
An unusual timeline
The sequence of events leading to the legislative controls to halt the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus has not followed the conventional pattern. The Prime Minister’s speech on 23 March was accompanied by the updating of extant guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) and other government departments. In response, social distancing and restrictions on movement began to take place. The MHCLG guidance was again updated but it was not until 26 March than the legislation underpinning these requirements was published and became law, shortly before being laid before parliament.
Coronavirus Act 2020 Continue reading