(File photo)A court case about the legal basis for the Alert Level 3 and 4 coronavirus lockdowns could be expanded to allow three lawyers' groups to take part. A decision is pending on whether the Auckland District Law Society, the Criminal Bar Association, and the New Zealand Law Society, will be allowed to take part in the case lawyer Andrew Borrowdale has personally taken. At the High Court in Wellington on Wednesday, Chief High Court Judge, Justice Susan Thomas, reserved her decision on the lawyers' groups application to "intervene". READ MORE:* Coronavirus: Pair who challenged legality of lockdown named* Coronavirus: Lockdown test case scope could expand* Coronavirus: Lockdown legality case can't leapfrog High Court* Coronavirus: Epidemic Response Committee summons government chiefs over withheld lockdown legal adviceThe New Zealand Law Society's lawyer Tim Stephens said its interest was in administration of justice and the rule of law and it had not confirmed what its position would be on the ultimate issues the court had to decide. A "full court" of High Court judges - usually either two or three - were scheduled to hear the case in late July.

Source: Stuff June 17, 2020 02:26 UTC