Whatever happens next - Tier 4+ or a new 'lockdown', it's important to understand that there is no magic to the term 'lockdown'.
It is better to see the laws we have been living under since March as different grades of legally enforced social distancing.
And whatever version of legally enforced social distancing the government goes for, ultimately it will stand or fall on: (1) Simplicity of rules (2) Clarity of communication (3) Level of actual and perceived enforcement
You can have stricter rules without any change to the above.
Despite it being relatively short on lawyers in top positions the government as become very legalistic - assuming that changing rules (even if that makes them immensely more complex and unclear) will change behaviour.
But because the focus has been on more and more complex rules rather than simplicity, clarity and enforcement, it will be an uphill battle for the government to change behaviour.
And I haven't even mentioned trust and credibility - the govt has squandered both.
I gave some thought earlier to what a third national 'lockdown' would look like - and I expect it is coming very soon - but the govt should take this opportunity to really focus on (1), (2) and (3) above if not too late
These are not a new set of regulations: they are amendments an old set of regulations
Which we thought were gone! But they are back
Welcome back No.3 regulations
A quick thing before we continue!
I have been analysing these laws for free for 9 months now - if you want to say thanks and have a few £ to spare please give to my @LawCentres fundraiser
They give free legal advice to people who need it most
Support bubbles, childcare bubbles, exercise, meeting with one of the person not from your household for exercise still in place from Tier 4
This has all been done with such crashing urgency that they haven’t even been able to transpose the PDF version of the guidance into the website yet, it is here:
Looks pretty much the same as Tier 4:
- Can't leave home without a reasonable excuse
- Can take exercise with household/support+childcare bubble/1 other person (says once per day - don't expect this to be in the regulations but who knows)
I have read part of the judgment (I think only part?) that he succeeded on - there would be a substantial risk he would commit suicide if extradited. And this was exacerbated by the likely 'special administrative measures' and possibility of being housed in a 'superman' prison
Similar to other extradition cases to US (involving terrorism), judge was concerned by the potential for Assange being held in oppressive conditions.
In this sense, argument that he would be treated with hostility worked in his favour even if didn't amount to improper pressure
Could be an excellent result for him as will be difficult to overturn on appeal. Is a relatively simple point based on expert psychiatric evidence (I assume, haven't read the judgment).
Are footballers being punished for breaching coronavirus regulations? I have seen a few stories about parties etc but nothing about internal club or FA discipline
I am, generally, not one for calling for people to be disciplined but given how influential footballers are particularly among younger people why is the @FA not taking a stronger line?
I would have thought people seeing on the front page of @TheSun etc that a player has breached rules and nothing or next to nothing then happening will have a strong cultural effect on younger people at the least.