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13 April 2020 / Neil Parpworth
Issue: 7883 / Categories: Features , Covid-19 , Public
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COVID-19: The Coronavirus Regulations

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Neil Parpworth considers the nature & implementation of the powers the police have been given to restrict movement & gatherings
  • Although brief in nature, the regulations are significant in terms of their likely impact upon certain rights and freedoms of the individual.
  • During the ‘emergency period’ they enable various restrictions or requirements to be imposed on individuals relating to the carrying on of a business, their freedom of movement, and their ability to gather in a public place.

Although brief in nature, the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/350) are significant in terms of their likely impact upon certain rights and freedoms of the individual. During the ‘emergency period’, they enable various restrictions or requirements to be imposed on individuals relating to the carrying on of a business (regs 4 and 5), their freedom of movement (reg 6), and their ability to gather in a public place (reg 7). For the purposes of the present discussion, attention will focus on the latter two restrictions.

Restrictions on movement

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