law
20 Aug 2020

Justified, but unlawful: A ruling on lockdown legality

From Nine To Noon, 9:32 am on 20 August 2020

The High Court has released its ruling into the legality of the first lockdown. Lawyer Andrew Borrowdale had taken the Director General of Health to task, on whether he had the legal authority to put the country into alert level 4 earlier this year. The Court released its ruling yesterday, finding that from 26 March to 3 April, the requirement for people to stay at home and in their bubbles was justified, but unlawful. Dr Dean Knight from Victoria University's faculty of law sat through the three-day hearing.

An empty Queen St in Auckland the morning after a Level 4 Covid-19 lockdown was announced.

Auckland's Queen Street was eerily quiet during lockdown. Photo: RNZ / Jordan bond