Our partner and former Estonian chancellor of justice, Allar Jõks, filed an action with the Tallinn Administrative Court over the government’s order extending coronavirus-related restrictions on Monday.
“The action was bought in the interests of one family cafe of Kalamaja, but it concerns everyone with regard to whom restrictions were extended at the beginning of May – theaters, restaurants and spas,” Jõks explained.
Jõks emphasised that filing the action against the government does not mean that he is a virus denier. “I do, however, deny the notion that when combating the virus, the state does not have to take into account the rights of others,” he said.
Jõks said that the explanatory remarks accompanying the government’s order fail to show how the restrictions affect education, business, or residents’ habits of culture consumption. In addition, there is no data to suggest that theaters or concert halls are places of high risk of infection. Nor does the explanatory memorandum show that alternative restrictions were considered to allow cafes not to be closed, such as requirements concerning dispersion, opening hours, occupancy.
More information on ERR.
