To ask everyone to read the actual law

[justicedanceson]

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1200/pdfs/uksi_20201200_en.pdf

I appreciate there are many different ways people will try to reduce the virus for moral reasons and that’s all for the good where people are able to do that. We will all be in different situations.

But as far as what we can expect of other people and get annoyed about.... might help if everyone read the law. If another person is keeping to the actual law but not your personal judgement then have a chat about it fine, but it’s a difference of opinion not something you can claim complete authority on. Since the law is the authority in this case.

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

So what would you say to the guidance? That's neither law nor personal opinion...

Would help if it hadn’t changed about 5 times in a major way since Monday without changes being tracked!

Generally I’m working from home, taking kids to school and going on the odd walk. So all well within the guidelines and the law.

However what I am legally allowed to do is in the legislation. The guidance is not the intended to be exhaustive or comprehensive.

Personally I think it’s quite unhelpful that the law is quite different from the guidance. Ideally the guidance would just be a laymen’s version of the law.

I disagree that the legislation is hard to read though. I think many people who are not lawyers can understand it once they have read it.

As a previous person said the meaning of “Should”, “must” and “including” are important to understand.

It's a statutory instrument @Nomnomarrgh so much simpler

I agree OP. People should read it. It isnt that complicated. But it does conflict with the guidance. Generating further confusion and disagreement.

I agree with @justicedanceson - it’s important for clear communication and trust that the guidance is just a summary of the legislation.

I suspect that the guidance is a deliberate ploy to obfuscate the situation. If people see something "official" on a government website they will assume it is an accurate representation of the law and will follow it. And order everyone on Mumsnet to follow it too.

@IrkedEssex

I suspect that the guidance is a deliberate ploy to obfuscate the situation. If people see something "official" on a government website they will assume it is an accurate representation of the law and will follow it. And order everyone on Mumsnet to follow it too.

That’s my suspicion too. But they don’t really want to criminalise people for clearly ridiculous things as it would make them look bad. So they want to scare people to comply with uncertain guidance whilst keeping it legal. It’s a very odd way to govern though. If you read this summary of the principles of the rule of law you can see why constantly changing, unclear or not equally applied law undermines this. Guidance should be as close as possible to the law (allowing for some detail lost in the simplification) www.inbrief.co.uk/legal-system/the-rule-of-law/

Its a bit like lockdown #1 where something was mentioned off the cuff by a minister and the police were arresting people unjustifiably left right and centre for being out for more than an hour. I do get your point now.