We need Covid fine amnesty, says ex-justice secretary
The TelegraphJun 18
UK: Former Supreme Court Judge Supports COVID Fine Amnesty
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The Facts
Former UK Justice Secretary, Sir Robert Buckland, has called for the government to expunge the records of the more than 29K people who have so far been convicted of violating COVID rules.
Former Supreme Court Judge Lord Jonathan Sumption agreed with Buckland's proposal, arguing that people were convicted under "absurdly draconian" laws and now face potential hurdles to finding a job due to their criminal records.
The Spin
Right narrative
In an ambiguous, draconian manner, the government imposed absurd laws on the British people with little explanation and unclear science to back them. People as young as 18 were turned into criminals for simply hosting New Year's Eve parties and traveling to visit family. If the government has any real sense of justice, it will expunge these records immediately.
Left narrative
While a case could be made for some amnesty, those like Johnson and Sunak — who put safety measures in place and then violated those same rules — shouldn't be forgiven. As UK residents were suffering from the virus, these politicians chose to put society at risk by ignoring laws that they had applied to society as a whole.
