Court side with anti-lock-in group, urges the prime minister to launch an appeal and advise citizens to respect a controversial step.
A Dutch court has ordered the government to remove an overnight curfew he imposed last month to fight the spread of coronavirus infection, saying officials should not use emergency powers to restrict the curb. implemented.
But in response to Tuesday’s ruling, Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged citizens to continue to abide by the restrictions, telling a televised press conference that his government would appeal and that the measure was necessary.
The overnight curfew, established from January 23, was the first to be disbanded in the Netherlands since World War II and in part brought the worst riots in the country for decades.
The Rutte ruling coalition government argued that the measure was necessary to prevent new infections, as a result of new, more contagious mutations of the virus.
The curfew was executed using emergency powers.
However, a Hague-based Dutch Court of Justice upheld the anti-lockdown group Viruswaarheid (Virus Truth), which called for the restriction to be lifted.
He found that officers had not made clear why it was absolutely necessary to use emergency powers, as the level of infection was already falling at the time of application.
The court also described the curfew as a “widespread violation of the right to freedom of movement and privacy”, saying it indirectly diminishes the rights to freedom of assembly and exhibition.
“The curfew is based on law for emergencies, where there is no time for debate with parliament,” the court said in its decision.
“It simply came to our notice then. Such broad measures must be based on proper laws. “
The court ruled that the decision did not automatically end the curfew, as that was the government ‘s decision.
Government appeal
Dutch news agency ANP said the government, which is currently sitting in a caretaker position ahead of elections on March 17, after resigning over a child benefits scandal, had asked the court postpone his decision until his application is heard.
The court would decide on this application later Tuesday.
The curfew, which only allows people with emergencies to be outside between 9pm and 4:30 am (20:00 and 03:30 GMT), was extended last week to at least 3 March.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said it needed to review the ruling.
The curfew is part of a locker room in which bars, restaurants and non-essential stores have been closed for months.
The number of coronavirus diseases in the Netherlands has declined in recent weeks, following a steady decline so far this year.
The total number of diseases diagnosed across the country since the outbreak began is over one million last week, with nearly 15,000 COVID-19 recorded deaths.