This article originally appeared on The Age on 14 Dec 2020.
Excerpt:
Jeremy King, a solicitor who has sued the police for false imprisonment, has seen a court award $30,000 for 30 minutes of false imprisonment. He says: “In addressing the health concerns of COVID-19, it was imperative that a balance be struck between combating the virus and ensuring an individual’s basic civil liberties were protected. If those in aged care were simply locked away without lawful justification and/or without reference to the statutory health restrictions at the time, this is prima facie a case of false imprisonment.”