G-A-Y 10pm curfew battle placed on hold
The legal challenge against the Government’s 10pm curfew on hospitality launched by the owner of the G-A-Y nightclub has been placed on hold after the court refused permission for the case to move forward.
In a statement posted to Twitter, owner Jeremy Joseph revealed that the decision was made by the court based on “the papers submitted by G-A-Y and the government”, but added that the “good news” was that he will continue the challenge by arguing for its case in an oral hearing.
G-A-Y Judicial Review Update #Cancelthecurfew #SaveNightlife #OneIndustryOneVoice #Weareviable pic.twitter.com/z4rw7j1rCK
— Jeremy Joseph G-A-Y (@JeremyJoseph) October 28, 2020
Advertisement
He said: “Since we made our last announcement, the tier system has been introduced with more protective measures introduced and venues across the country, including G-A-Y Manchester, have been forced to close.
“Knowing that even when these venues can reopen they will continue to make losses because of the curfew is heartbreaking, especially when we can see no good reason for it to protect customers and the public.”
He added: “We still haven’t seen evidence that comes close to justifying the curfew. If the Government had something convincing we would have hoped to have seen it by now. It doesn’t.”
Joseph also noted that if he was to lose the oral hearing then it would be “game over” for the action.
The news comes after Joseph instructed barristers from Kings Chambers and Simpson Miller to challenge the government’s latest round of Covid-19 restrictions at the start of October.
The legal team, supported by G-A-Y’s legal advisor Kirsty McShannon of Azorra Ltd, has already written to secretary of state, Matt Hancock at the Department of Health and Social Care, with a formal challenge to the new restriction.
