During the uncertainty of COVID lockdowns initiated in 2020 and 2021, few, perhaps, considered the impact of the pandemic on those who were already deprived of their liberty - a population for whom lockdown would come at a substantial cost.
Judy Laing, Professor of Mental Health Law, Rights and Policy at the University of Bristol’s Law School, along with Rachel Murray, Professor of International Human Rights Law and Director of the Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) at the University of Bristol, and Dr Debra Long, Research Fellow at the University of Bristol Law School, put together a proposal to investigate the safeguards in place for those deprived of their liberty during the COVID pandemic.
The findings of this research also formed the basis of a written submission and oral evidence provided to the Joint Committee for Human Rights’ inquiry into protecting human rights in care settings.