Barrister: “All prosecutions under the Coronavirus Act have been unlawful”

Laura Jane Miller, Red Lion Chambers, explains the mistakes made when prosecuting under the Coronavirus Act

Ordinary members of the public have been wrongly criminalised due to an inherent lack of understanding of the law by enforcement authorities. This is the finding of a recent review by the Crown Prosecution Service.

On 25th March 2020 the Coronavirus Act 2020 came into force and The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 followed suit on 26th March 2020. Cumulatively, the legislation provided new and unprecedented powers to the police and immigration enforcement officials, in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Act and the Regulations provide separate powers for two distinct groups – the Act is designed to assist health care professionals and applies only to persons suspected of being infectious. The Regulations, on the other hand, are designed to enforce lockdown and social distancing rules imposed upon the public.

The government made it clear that prosecution was to be a measure of last resort, with education and fixed penalty notices being the primary and preferred sanctions.

It is worth noting that accepting a fixed penalty notice does not result in a criminal conviction. They can be handed out to members of the public on the street, without a person being arrested or detained in a police station, and with limited cost to the public purse. In England, those over 18 can be fined £100.00 for a first breach of the Coronavirus Act and £200.00 for a second breach, thereafter the penalty doubles for each further offence up to a maximum of £3,200.00.

The British press has highlighted multiple examples of an inconsistent application of the law by different police forces. The result is that members of the public have been wrongly convicted by the courts. Of particular concern is that most of those appearing before the court, under the legislation, were not represented by a defence lawyer.

What are some examples of this?

Marie Dinou was tried in her absence by a District Judge who found her guilty, having read the witness statements presented by the Prosecution. She was fined £660.00. Her conviction was subsequently overturned because she was charged under the Act, even though she was not at any stage suspected of being infectious.

Lukas Karuzel appeared before Wimbledon Magistrates Court for offences, including an offence under the Act. He pleaded guilty. He was fined £60.00 for the coronavirus offence. His conviction was subsequently overturned, again because he was not at any stage suspected of being infectious.

Those two cases are not only examples of wrongful convictions but also highlight the inconsistency in the sentences being imposed by the courts. In each case, the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Court Clerk and the Police all made fundamental errors in their understanding of the legislation.

There have also been cases of homeless people being prosecuted under the Regulations. Such cases are brought on the basis of individuals having left the place where they are living without a reasonable excuse. However, the Regulations expressly state that the restrictions of movement do not apply to those who are homeless.

How many cases have been prosecuted?

Between 25th March and 30th April, 187 cases prosecuted under the Regulations and 44 cases prosecuted under the Act were concluded in the courts. On 15th May the Crown Prosecution Service published an updated outcome of an internal review of more than 200 such cases. Notably, the review did not include ongoing cases. Nor did it include Fixed Penalty Notices, many of which were undoubtedly wrongly issued by the Police.

The review found that 175 of the 187 cases charged under the Regulations were charged correctly, 7 cases were withdrawn by the prosecution at the first court hearing and 5 cases resulted in wrongful convictions. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the “errors usually involved Welsh regulations being applied in England or vice versa.” No data has been released to confirm why in those 175 cases, fixed penalty notices were not deemed appropriate as an alternative to prosecution.

All 44 cases charged under the Act were found to have been incorrectly charged, 31 of those cases were withdrawn by the prosecution at the first court hearing and 13 cases resulted in wrongful convictions. The Crown Prosecution Service found that “All 44 cases under the Act were found to have been incorrectly charged because there was no evidence they covered potentially infectious people”. 11 of those cases were subsequently prosecuted under the Regulations.

Over 14,000 fixed penalty notices have been issued by the police. The only way to challenge such a notice is by lodging a complaint before the Magistrates Court or by refusing to pay, and in doing so, exposing oneself to a risk of criminal prosecution and potentially a substantial costs order. No review of such penalties has yet been announced.

Why have so many mistakes been made?

In ordinary times, the police, prosecuting authorities and the courts would have many months’ notice of a change in the law. Guidance would be issued, policy drafted and training conducted. In relation to the coronavirus legislation, those bodies were provided with just 72 hours’ notice.

The chair of the National Police Chief’s Council apologised for the mistakes and confirmed that “these were unprecedented circumstances in which officers were presented with new powers within days of them being announced.” Police officers on the ground felt the guidance in daily government briefings was unclear, often going further than the legislative provisions, and therefore causing additional confusion over the extent of new Police powers.

Given that these important powers were granted to the Police and Prosecutors during unprecedented times, the public rightly expects the criminal justice system to exercise these new powers in a just and consistent way. A failure to enforce the law correctly and consistently undermines public trust and confidence in policing and criminal justice agencies.

Before relying on their new powers it is imperative that the police understand the nature and extent of those powers. It is equally important for the Courts and Prosecutors to understand the limits of those powers and to act as a necessary check on their use. The absence of defence lawyers advocating on behalf of those charged under the provisions is a further missed opportunity to ensure justice is done. That the usual “safety nets” were not present or failed, is a warning against future legislation that is promulgated in a crisis.

What comes next for the Coronavirus Act?

The review is, of course, welcome as is the new requirement that any charge under the legislation must now be reviewed by a supervising lawyer before being called into Court. It was a necessary correction to a failure within the system.

The stark reality is that but for the press attention, these miscarriages of justice would almost certainly have gone unnoticed. Ordinary members of the public would have criminal convictions for offences which simply do not exist. Hastily drafted legislation requires proper checks and balances to ensure it is proportionate and necessary. It requires particular caution and diligence across the criminal justice system to ensure a fair and lawful application. Whilst criminal lawyers across the land demand this, politicians ignore it at their own peril.

Barrister: “All prosecutions under the Coronavirus Act have been unlawful”

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2 Responses to “Barrister: “All prosecutions under the Coronavirus Act have been unlawful””

  1. ihunt says:

    Common Law and Statutes(not Law)
    A ‘statute’ is defined as a rule or regulation of a society – they are edicts of legislation used to govern that society. Statutes are subject to the consent of the society – and this is individual consent and not collective consent. We belong to society as a matter of choice.
    – The distinction between a law and a statute is that a law applies equally to us all but statutes can be made to favour one sector of society over others, for example, people with disabilities are given preferential parking privileges (which is fair enough) and politicians have given themselves special dispensations re their expenses which the rest of us do not have (which is outrageous).
    – There is a compulsion to obey laws. Laws defend our freedoms and liberties and through them we live in peace and harmony with our neighbours. Failure to comply with laws would render an individual an outlaw. If you do not respect the law then it can afford you no protection.
    – Obeying statutes is voluntary i.e. with our consent. Any individual can withdraw their consent to being governed (controlled) by the statutes of a society. This might involve their exclusion from that society and the loss of benefits, but when the imposition of the liabilities outweighs the benefits, then that might be a price worth paying. The choice is and should be yours.
    https://pjcjournal.wordpress.com/common-law-vs-statutes/

  2. ihunt says:

    Awarriorcalls.com
    Watch the videos on this site,
    Legalese is used to fool men and women,
    Common Law is superior to and overrides Acts Statutes and Regulations(these are contracts under Company law Admiralty Law we consent or not as we choose). We have Common Law the law of the Land.We are all equal under the Law ,Queen, Lords everybody.

    Police work for service Companies(your Police Force will be registered as a Company check it out your self) but they also have an Oath to uphold the Law Impartially as
    Constables and also as Officers of a Company a fiction to collect fines for profit from you , The Queen is a company, David Cameron, House of Lords,
    Judges,even the United Kingdom is a company , they trade for profit.
    Example:
    WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE
    RAID-CONTROL TRUST
    Company Number (04885861)
    Company status
    Active
    Correspondence address
    PO BOX 9, Police Headquarters, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, WF1 3QP
    https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/F51eppyeIer8eoEbLVEaIfCsPAw/appointments

    TCP ,Trespass,Contract,Property.
    When faced by Police ask ” Who have I trespassed against which man or woman?”
    “Who do I have a Contract with , bring forth the man or woman.”
    “Who claims that I am property , which man or woman?”
    If no answer is forth coming .
    “Are you on your Oath”
    “As a living man”
    “Am I free to go?”
    Your Children are your property under the Law no one can touch them without your consent.
    Do not engage in conversations they will try to trick you with legalese, keep it simple
    with the above and then continue on your way , or if they are on your Common Law Jurisdiction
    write a notice as such fix to your door and they continue to harrass you ask them to leave as they are trespassing against you.
    https://www.commonlawcourt.com/deeds/
    https://www.commonlawcourt.com/shop/product/withdrawn-consent/

    Common Law Constables.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpDtTa19mXw
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPoVVmjyEHo
    Commonlawcourt.com
    Common Law Countries.
    https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/common-law-countries
    CLC News.
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaCHQ9nYxUFOg0xIxw0alaw/videos
    COMMON LAW & JOHN SMITH
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4WI5TTPOSQ
    How to Respond to the Police (COMMON LAW)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOcEMFndQ9Y

    Awarriorcalls.com
    Dealing With The Police – Years ago, a policeman was your friend and defender. Things have changed now that Police Forces have become commercial organisations, dedicated to producing a profit by taking money from you in the form of Fixed Penalty Notices, Speeding Fines, Parking Fines and any number of other charges.
    http://knowledgeispower-uk.weebly.com/uk-police-force.html
    The Government is the biggest corporation – its employees like the police like to try and enforce contractual law with deception hence them being there when Bailiffs turn up.
    Bailiffs have NO LAWFUL JURISDICTION – like all other corporations. The first thing you do to combat Admiralty law is:
    1. TAKE AWAY THEIR IMPLIED RIGHT OF ACCESS TO YOU AND YOUR PROPERTY. VERBALLY, IN WRITING, IN PERSON.
    2. NO COMMERCIAL ENTITY OR SYSTEM CAN CONTACT YOU IN ANY WAY ONCE YOU DO 1.
    3. ALL SUMMONS BY A COURT OVER FINES ARE MERELY INVITATIONS – DO NOT CONSENT AND TURN UP, IGNORE.
    4. (a) ONLY IF YOU DAMAGE ANOTHER’S PROPERTY, YOUR BODY IS YOUR PROPERTY, CAUSE LOSS, THERE IS A VICTIM CAN A SHERRIF*/POLICE CONSTABLE* WITH A WET SIGNED WARRANT FROM A JUDGE ARREST YOU.
    4. (b) Strictly under COMMON LAW the above is only lawful if the 2* PROVE LAWFUL JURISDICTION BY PRODUCING THEIR OATHS ON REQUEST.
    Any police, judge, magistrate or politician failing to act under their oath (sworn on the BIBLE), failing to show their oath then they COMMIT MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE. For each offence, they face up to 25 years in prison.
    With the police threaten to use a FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST to see those they have fined over the years – you then inform them everyone on that list will be told how to sue the policeman/women and their force. Only do this as a last resort.
    We have the COVENANT of COMMON LAW and the BIBLE that only God is above. The Queen is only their ruling WITH OUR CONSENT – it is a paper monarch who can also be tried for treason if need be.
    We all need to walk around with t-shirts saying WE DO NOT CONSENT TO COMMERCIAL CORPORATIONS.
    https://brandnewtube.com/watch/common-law-police-officers_54pCnBxkdh8jynA.html