Simon Dolan seeking judicial Review of government’s lockdown - AIBU to think he is a selfish pr**k?

[Userwhatevernumber]

A multi-millionaire is taking the government to court to challenge the lockdown restrictions. He is seeking judicial review of the decision to enforce lockdown.

Fair enough if he wanted to use his own multi-millions to find this. But no, he is actually crowdfunding. He is seeking to raise £125,000 from the public. At a time when he himself has already acknowledged the suffering economy.

AIBU to think this is total selfishness and that he is just another white, rich privileged man thinking he can play the hero and save us all when all the while he is only out for himself?

😡

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/law/2020/may/01/uk-government-faces-legal-challenge-coronavirus-lockdown-businessman-simon-dolan

www.crowdjustice.com/case/lockdownlegalchallenge/

Presumably, yes. But i dont know how much time and money it will waste. And in the meantime this egomaniac is getting all this lovely attention.

As @Rosspoldarkssaddle says.

@HeyDuggeesCakeBadge The problem is we have much better things to spend our precious tax revenue on than an expensive court case over following the advice of medical experts worldwide (and basic common sense).

Why is he only concerned about the UK government lockdown? It's happened worldwide. He lives in Monaco where it's been far stricter.

He doesn't live here, he's evaded tax, and he now wants to cost us more tax revenue? Breathtakingly shameless.

He's worth millions. What a shame he doesn't donate some of his riches to the causes he professes concern about. Domestic abuse charities, people who've lost their jobs, children who have lost their parents to this disease. Instead he wants to divert money away from them.

Why dont we start our own crowd funding page to dig around this man's dodgy tax history?

Chhh03. Did you say you know him?

I suspect he's been careful. Tax avoidance rather than evasion. Legal, but not necessarily moral.

I bet he didn't want everyone discussing his tax affairs though.

I get the feeling he has been investigated a few times by HMRC. Unless I mis-read between the lines of Ch003's post. My ex BIL did 'tax avoidance' til HMRC successfully took him to a Tribunal and closed one of his dodgy schemes. It's tax avoidance til HMRC manages to nail you. Which is no mean feat as these people are slippery fucks.

Really?
This could all backfire on him couldn't it. He's succeeded in bringing about a renewed attention on his tax affairs.

If he's anything like me ex BIL, he will think he's invinceable. And wont be remotely risk averse. My ex BIL is, essentially, a ruthless sociopath and gambler. Who hides his loot in complicated trusts in tax havens

But i dont know how much time and money it will waste.

This is such a feeble excuse! The greatest intrusion into human rights in the UK since human rights were invented, the biggest bill for any peacetime project and in fact bigger than most wars. The government should certainly be prepared to demonstrate that it's acting legally, and the legal bill will be the tiniest drop in the huge ocean which this strategy is costing us. And if this case has so little merit, as widely agreed here, then it will be thrown out on the papers at the permission stage and the legal bill to the state will be less than the cost of lunch for Boris Johnson.

How do we sue a virus Goaty?

Biggest intrusion? How dare they try to protect lives and the economy! Nasty government trying to reduce the spread of a deadly contagious disease.

Again I ask. Why is he so concerned about a country he doesn't live in or pay tax to? He resides in Monaco. Their lockdown is stricter than ours.

Hi Toffee,

I'm guessing these are rhetorical questions, but it's getting hard to tell! In case your last question isn't, it's because he has assets in the UK.

He clearly has an agenda. Which am damn sure isn't our human rights. If he is doing this in our name, and trying to get our cash through his crowdfunding wheeze I'd like to know a bit more about him and what he's about.

Why would they be rhetorical. He's complaining about his 'freedom'. His assets in the UK are irrelevant. His freedom (or not) will be impacted by the decisions taken by those in charge of Monaco. Not the UK.

His assets in the UK are irrelevant.

This is wrong. Have a look at Protocol 1, Article 1.

Hi Goaty, I've just googled it. It's the right to protection of property. And is most definately a qualified right (I.e. except if enjoying your property is not in the public interest). Not sure I want to contribute to the crowd funding to help Simon enjoy his UK property rights. I think, tough tits Simon!

Hi P999, yes it's qualified and can be interfered with subject to the proportionality test we discussed a bit earlier. That's what the arguments will be about if it gets to a full hearing. I'm pretty sure Simon can afford to fund it himself as you rightly say!

I hope people are taking note of Goaty's posts. They're a good example of how nonsensical court cases can happen when there's money. 'Technicalities' and irrelevant issues that, despite their irrelevance, are brought up and so have to be defended. That's how court cases such as these become costly. And this one would be on the UK taxpayer. At a time when we particularly need our tax revenue.

I hope people are taking note of Goaty's posts.

Thank you Toffee! Sadly they never do

You did well Goaty

I want to leave a comment on his crowd funding page, but can only do it if i donate something. I think its technically possible for me to donate 1p. Am going to try. Any suggestions what comment or question to post? Anyone want to join me?

Toffee this will go to a government department that is already funded to respond to these type of requests so it will not take resources away, that's not how government funding works.

And if they have the answers then it will not go to a costly court case will it?

I worked for a regulator who was JDed. It sucked a huge amount of time and cash. They won. But its an enormous amount of work and cash

P999 the government will have a department to deal with these types of requests so funding and resource will already be there.