Legislating Corona: Proportionality, Non-Discrimination and Transparency (PRONTO)

Despite warnings from a number of experts that a global pandemic was inevitable, states have ignored these warnings and failed to adequately prepare for such a crisis. Outdated public health laws are now being revised rapidly and - supported by criminal sanctions - beyond democratic control. In the fight against COVID-19, states have to an unprecedented degree used legislation as a means of controlling and sanctioning citizen and business behavior, closing borders and increasingly monitoring the movement of citizens. Instead of introducing a coordinated approach in the fight against COVID-19, governments have followed national models and evidence for the development of the virus and therefore also various legislative measures. Legislating Corona: Proportionality, Non-Discrimination and Transparency (PRONTO) will map and evaluate these hastily drafted provisions. PRONTO will identify legislation adopted in EU Member States to restrict freedom of movement (both within and outside state borders) and legislation aimed at monitoring citizens. In addition, the project will evaluate these legal initiatives in Denmark, Sweden, Ireland and the United Kingdom specifically in relation to the laws' compliance with international human rights, the right to privacy as guaranteed by EU law and international health law. The project thus provides crucial and timely insights and perspectives on the legal implications of the COVID-19 outbreak for European states governed by the rule of law.