Coronavirus

G-A-Y owner begins formal legal challenge against 10pm curfew

Jeremy Joseph, CEO of G-A-Y, has instructed barristers from Kings Chambers and Simpson Miller to challenge the government’s latest round of Covid-19 restrictions which are affecting the hospitality industry.

The pre-action protocol has been served to specifically challenge the government’s decision to implement a 10pm curfew on hospitality premises, which has been in effect since 24 September and has been ‘‘widely criticised’’ by the industry.

The legal team, supported by G-A-Y’s legal advisor Kirsty McShannon of Azorra Ltd, have written to Secretary of State, Matt Hancock at the Department of Health and Social Care, with a formal challenge to the new restriction.

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Joseph said: ‘‘The 10pm curfew which has now been in place for the last two weeks and has been detrimental to the hospitality sector, including G-A-Y, makes absolutely no sense. It does the opposite of protecting people by pushing them onto the street at the same time. 

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‘‘They are going from being safe inside venues with staggered closing times to unsafe on overcrowded streets and overloaded public transport. This Government has failed to show why the 10pm curfew was put in place and has published no scientific evidence to substantiate its implementation.’’

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: ‘‘The implementation of the 10.00 pm curfew and further restrictions on the sector has had a catastrophic impact on business levels, resulting in thousands of businesses making the difficult decision to close the doors, or make staff redundant” 

‘‘The decision to implement a curfew makes no sense and has no published scientific or medical foundation to reducing transmission rates. If anything, it is counterproductive, with thousands leaving hospitality venues at 10.00 pm, creating mass gatherings on the street and overcrowding  public transport.’’

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