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If the police use a heavy hand, the public will soon tire of it

Editorial: These restrictions on movement could plausibly last another six months. It will not be long before people’s patience wears thin and compliance slackens off

Tuesday 31 March 2020 20:33 BST
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Officers in Yorkshire stop motorists to check that their travel is ‘essential’
Officers in Yorkshire stop motorists to check that their travel is ‘essential’

Accusations that Britain has, virtually overnight, been turned into a police state seem wide of the mark. But when the distinguished former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption makes such a claim, he should be listened to.

He is right to criticise the zealots in the Derbyshire force who tried to prevent people from going for a walk in the Peak District. The officers, who proudly shared their activities on Twitter, were not only being over-officious but exceeding their powers to enforce the law as it stands. They were attempting to make free citizens abide by ministers’ guidelines, opinions expressed in press conferences and, indeed, varying interpretations of those opinions. That is ultra vires, and Lord Sumption was right to say so.

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