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Law, Ethics and Lockdowns: impacts on life, liberty and the economy

Keown, John; Paton, David

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Authors

John Keown



Abstract

Many people worldwide, particularly those with disabilities and the elderly, suffered greatly not only as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic but also as a result of the lockdowns. In this article we set out widely-accepted ethical criteria for assessing when coercive public health measures are justified. We then review the empirical evidence, not least concerning the benefits and costs of the lockdowns, and conclude that lockdowns as instituted in the UK (and, presumptively, in many other jurisdictions) appeared to breach those criteria. We conclude that any future proposal to lockdown should be subjected to the strictest ethical scrutiny, and that a lockdown should not be contemplated unless it could be convincingly demonstrated that the benefits would substantially outweigh the harms; that it would be proportionate, and that legal coercion would be strictly necessary.

Citation

Keown, J., & Paton, D. (2023). Law, Ethics and Lockdowns: impacts on life, liberty and the economy. Issues in Law & Medicine, 38(2), Article 1

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 6, 2023
Online Publication Date Dec 1, 2023
Publication Date Dec 1, 2023
Deposit Date Feb 14, 2024
Publicly Available Date Feb 20, 2024
Journal Issues in Law & Medicine
Print ISSN 8756-8160
Publisher National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc.
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 38
Issue 2
Article Number 1
Keywords Covid-19; lockdowns; ethics; public health; law; economy
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/31445713
Publisher URL https://issuesinlawandmedicine.com/articles/law-ethics-and-lockdowns-impacts-on-life-liberty-and-the-economy/

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