DUTCH GOV’T BATTLING COVID-19 CURFEW ON TWO FRONTS

The Dutch government is pulling out all the stops to retain a coronavirus curfew, but doing so will mean winning both legislative and judicial victories, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

A court earlier this week overturned a night-time curfew that the Netherlands had implemented in an attempt to keep coronavirus infection rates down. Ruling on a case brought by groups opposed to pandemic health regulations, it said the emergency conditions the government cited in ordering the curfew simply don't exist.

But the justices will also have to weigh the lower court ruling, which says the emergency laws can only be invoked if there is an acute emergency - like a dam breaking - that requires immediate action. It also ruled that the curfew was a violation of personal rights.

At the same time, the Senate, the upper house in the national parliament, had gathered to consider a new emergency law that would codify the curfew as part of the country's coronavirus control regulations.

The measure already passed the lower house on Thursday.

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