Lord Sumption, who retired as a justice at the UK's highest court in 2018, hit out at the way that some police forces are interpreting the new rules. He said: "The pressure on politicians has come from the public, they want action. They don't pause to ask whether the action will work, they don't ask themselves whether the cost will be worth paying - they want action anyway. Lord Sumption told Radio 4's The World At One:"Anyone who has studied history will recognise here the classic symptoms of collective hysteria. It's a state in which the Government can issue orders or express preferences with no legal authority and the police will enforce ministers' wishes."

Source: Daily Mirror March 30, 2020 13:35 UTC