3PB's Jonathan Underhill reviews new police and local authorities enforcement and prosecution powers under lockdown
16th April 2020
Last month the Coronavirus Act 2020 (CA 2020) received Royal Assent and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions (England) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/350 (the ‘Regulations’) came into force. These give wide new enforcement and prosecution powers to the police and local authorities, on health protection grounds.
3PB's crime and regulatory barrister Jonathan Underhill reviews these powers and the restricting the movement of people. These actually replace earlier regulations designed to limit the use of, and then close businesses. His briefing identifies that local authority enforcement departments - whether environmental protection, premises licencing, trading standards or any other department with a vested interest - are all capable of investigating and enforcing new offences under the Regulations.
His review also finds that individuals suggesting that sunbathing is an “essential” activity or that finding their cannabis dealer is a legitimate reason to be on the streets will not be the only ones who may find themselves in hot water.
Related News
-
On 21 November 2024, the High Court handed down judgment in R (SAG & others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 2984 (Admin), an expedited judicial review challenge to the government’s ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) system, following a hearing on 13 and 14 November 2024. The default position of the Home Office is to grant UK visas subject to a NRPF condition that prohibits most migrants from accessing welfare...
Continue reading -
3PB Barristers congratulates its first-class Criminal and Regulatory Law team for another strong result in Chambers and Partners’ 2025 edition. Not only has the team retained its Band 1 ranking for Crime in the Western Circuit, with 10 of its practitioners ranked in this area of law, it has also added 2 new rankings for Health and Safety in Western, now totalling 3 ranked barristers. While our barristers are praised for their forensic analyses, strategic...
Continue reading -
Chambers is delighted to announce that Oliver Hirsch (pictured here) has been appointed to the CPS RASSO panel. Oliver is also appointed to Level 2 of the CPS General Crime Advocate Panel. Oliver is now one of eleven 3PB crime law barristers on the CPS RASSO panel, which includes Francisca da Costa, Jonathan Underhill, Nick Cotter, Tim Bradbury, Gemma White, Jodie Mittell, Richard Onslow, Tom Horder, Thomas Acworth and Berenice Mulvanny. Oliver, pictured here, conducts...
Continue reading -
3PB congratulates its Public and Regulatory Law team for earning 3 new rankings in this year’s Chambers and Partners edition. To its existing 2 accolades for Administrative and Public Law, the team has added 2 rankings for Professional Discipline and one ranking for Inquests and Public Inquiries. Head of Group Mathew Gullick KC commented: “This significant gain in Chambers and Partners’ latest publication reflects both new and existing members of our national set of chambers,...
Continue reading
