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People in England now face fines of £ 200 on the spot for leaving their home without a ‘reasonable excuse’.
New laws to enforce the month-long lockdown include the power of the police to impose sanctions across the country.
According to the law, in force until December 2, no person can “leave or be out” of the place where they live without an excuse established in the law.
Where you live includes your home, yard, hallways, stairs, garages, and outbuildings.
But it does not include second homes or vacation homes, and the law provides an exemption for the homeless. Protests are also not allowed.
(Image: PA)
If you break this rule, you are breaking the law. However, you are unlikely to have a criminal record.
That’s because, by accepting a £ 200 fine on the spot, you waive any risk of going to court.
If the fine is paid within 14 days, it is halved to £ 100. For repeat offenders, it doubles each time, up to £ 6,400.
Police do not need to prove that you broke the law to impose a fine, only to suspect that you did. That means you may have to fight a fine in court.
If you go this route, you will have to show that you had one of the following reasonable excuses.
And if you lose a fight in court, you will not only receive a higher fine, but also a criminal record.
That is why it is important that you know the law. Here is the full list of reasonable excuses:
- If it is “reasonably necessary” “to purchase goods or obtain services from” businesses that remain open, whether for you, your household members or a “vulnerable person” or your household member.
- Withdraw or deposit money in a bank or mortgage company or similar business.
- To “exercise outdoors”, either alone, with members of your household or bubble of support / child care, or with someone from another household. Under this exemption, there must be only two of you total, although children under the age of 5 do not count toward the limit.
- To attend a place of worship (although they only remain open for private prayer).
- To attend an event on Remembrance Sunday.
- To visit real estate or tenant agents or show homes; view properties to buy or rent; prepare a property to move, buy, rent or sell; or move house.
- To visit someone in their bubble of support or bubble of child care. A child care bubble is when two households come together for the informal care of a child under the age of 13.
- To collect food or drink to go.
- Visit a waste disposal or recycling center.
- To attend work, education or training, or to do voluntary or charitable series, if it is not reasonable to do it from home.
- To provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person.
- To provide emergency assistance to anyone.
- To comply with a legal obligation, including going to court or meeting the conditions of the bond.
- To access social services, DWP services, crime victim services, and asylum and immigration services and interviews.
- If you are an elite athlete, keep training or competing.
- To seek medical assistance, including to donate blood, attend medical trials, or test for Covid or a vaccine.
- To avoid injury or illness or escape the risk of harm.
- Being with a mother giving birth, at her request.
- To visit a home, close family member, or friend who is being treated in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home (if allowed by local visiting rules).
- To attend a support group, including for victims of domestic abuse, addicts, and LGBT people, or to provide or receive respite care.
- To visit a home, close family member, or friend who you reasonably believe is dying.
- To attend a funeral or wake, cemetery or garden of remembrance, although there are limits to the number of people who can attend.
- To attend a marriage or civil society, but again there are strict limits on the number.
- Allowing children with separated parents to move between the houses of those two parents.
- There are also certain exemptions for children in care and those preparing for adoption.
- To visit a veterinarian.
- To walk or exercise your pet.
- To return home if you were on vacation before the lockdown went into effect.
- To visit a close relative or friend in prison.
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