IT’S time to reflect seriously when the law is intentionally ignored because it’s deemed unworkable.
There was a good example of this last weekend, when the police and those wishing to pay their respects to Sarah Everard clashed.
One of the things that jarred at this emotive event is the inconsistent way protests have been policed in London.
During the Extinction Rebellion protest, when London ground to a halt, officers were seen dancing with activists, while at the Black Lives Matter event in Whitehall some took the knee.
To be fair, the vigil was different, it was banned under pandemic restrictions, thereby criminalising what was intended to be a distanced, sober and respectful outpouring of grief.
It must also be noted that a small and disruptive element hijacked the event, making the police’s job even harder.
But, there’s no doubt that the respectful majority who attended have further put the spotlight on our emergency laws, and rightly so.
The Duchess of Cambridge, no less, added to the dilemma by laying flowers during the vigil.
An investigation into the policing of the event is under way.
So, what am I saying?
Simply, that the police operate with our consent and co-operation and when that fails you have the sort of scenes we witnessed on Saturday evening.
For that reason, we must ensure the laws we ask them to enforce are proportionate, clear and reasonable, and not a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
To that end, I sincerely hope that the Government does not attempt next week to extend the powers of the Coronavirus Act to the end of September.
With the data all going the right way, we are all yearning for a return to normality in June.