BILL WATCH 6/2021

[2nd February 2021]

Correction of Bill Watch 4/2021

on

Public Health Lock-down Extension

In Bill Watch 4/2021 of the 31st January we reported the Vice-President’s statement announcing that the current tight lock-down would be extended until the 15th February.  We said the extension did not require a statutory instrument to give it effect and that the tight lock-down would continue even after the 15th February unless it was terminated by statutory instrument.

We were wrong.  Section 27A(2) of the Lock-down Order stated that the tight lock-down – called a Level IV lock-down – would last the 3rd February.  The Government has acted correctly and published a new SI – 37 of 2021 gazetted on 1st February [link] extending it to the 15th February in line with the Vice-President’s announcement.

So the position is that the current tight Level IV lock-down will end on the 15th February unless it is extended by another statutory instrument under the Public Health Act.

A consolidated version of the Lock-down Order, incorporating the latest amendment, can be accessed on the Veritas website [link].

We apologise for the error in our earlier Bill Watch.