Proposed law on curfews scrapped after fierce opposition

Peaceful Assembly

The Norwegian National Human Rights Institution (NIM) has raised concerns over a proposed law that would allow the government to introduce curfews to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Institution pointed out that legal provision for curfews in exceptional situations already exists in the current Infection Control Act and therefore they consider the proposed measure unnecessary and disproportionate. Furthermore, they fear that the proposal would negatively impact on human rights and civic freedoms, including freedom of peaceful assembly. For these reasons, the NIM advised the government not to proceed with the proposal.

The proposal, formulated during a peak of infections early this year, has received stark opposition, including from the centre-right minority coalition’s supporters. As a result, after a round of consultations the government decided against the proposal in mid-February 2021. Justice Minister Monica Maeland stated, “We have not needed this tool so far. That’s still the situation and we hope it will stay that way.”