Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being urged by a coalition of charities and human rights groups to scrap the legislation which imposed coronavirus restrictions, without a debate in parliament. Boris Johnson and the government face a vote in the Commons today on the preservation of Coronavirus Act, which was rushed through in a single day at the start of the pandemic.
That legislation, which was effective for 6 months, is now up for renewal. Reports are suggesting that a defeat could occur for the government as a result of a considerable number of Tory rebels who want a parliamentary debate and vote before imposing any new restrictions.
Now, a broad-church of groups including Liberty, Black Lives Matter UK, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, the Traveller Movement and Big Brother Watch amongst others have called for the act be scrapped altogether.
A joint statement described it as “a lasting threat to our human rights as long as it remains on the statute books”.
In addition to this, the director of Liberty, Martha Spurrier has said: “MPs had barely any time to scrutinise the Coronavirus Act when it was introduced. They’ve had six months to watch the failure of using a criminal justice response to a public health crisis and the cruelty of how the act abandons the most marginalised when their rights need to be upheld. The act epitomises the government’s determination to prioritise criminal justice over public health, and its disregard for our rights. Renewing the act now would consolidate this power grab, putting our rights at even greater risk in the long term. It is time for parliament to repeal the Coronavirus Act and create a strategy that protects our rights, as well as our health”.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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