- The Netherlands must immediately lift its COVID-19 share, the Dutch Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday.
- The use of a law to draw up a curfew rule during emergencies was illegal in this case, the Court said.
- The curfew violated people’s rights to freedom of movement and privacy, he added.
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The Dutch COVID-19 curfew should be lifted immediately, the Dutch court in The Hague ruled on Tuesday.
People must stay indoors during the evening clock between 21:00 and 04:30 unless they have a valid reason, and those who leave their homes without the correct paperwork can be fined.
The curfew has no proper legal basis, the court ruled.
It was enacted through a law that allows the cabinet to impose an extract in exceptional circumstances without first going through the normal legislative process. Because the Dutch authorities had previously discussed the introduction of a curfew, it did not meet the necessary urgent requirements and was therefore not legal, the court ruled.
The curfew rule was not an emergency in the same way as, for example, a violation of the dikes, the court added.
The government has managed to make it clear why the curfew is needed as the infection rates drop, the court said. The curfew rule violated people’s rights, the court in a statement.
The case was raised by a group known as the Virus Truth Foundation.
The evening clock was set for January 23 and last week was extended to March 2. The Dutch authorities would meet on February 23 to review the curfew arrangements and other closing measures.