Netherlands: court orders end of curfew

For a court in The Hague, “the curfew is a profound violation of the right to freedom of movement and privacy”, thus requiring “a very careful decision-making process”. This court therefore decided, Tuesday February 16, that the Dutch government must put an end to it. The case was brought to justice by a group protesting against the introduction of the curfew.

The Dutch government announced in early February to extend the national curfew, in effect from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. from January 23, until March 2. The curfew, the first in the Netherlands since World War II, led soon after its inception to the worst riots in the country in decades.

Circumstances not “exceptional” enough for a curfew

The special law on which the government relied to impose a curfew is intended for “very urgent and exceptional circumstances,” the court said on Tuesday. However, a judge of first instance ruled that “the introduction of the curfew did not imply the particular urgency required” to be able to use this law, in particular because the possibility of such a measure was discussed on numerous occasions. before its entry into force, according to the court. The government had not yet reacted to this judgment. According to the ANP news agency, citing a spokesperson for the court, a possible appeal will not suspend the decision taken at first instance.


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