UPDATE: PoIice & @cpsuk say woman fined £660 for breaching #coronavirus act was charged under an INCORRECT section of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

They have asked North Tyneside Magistrates’ court for case to be relisted & conviction set aside. https://media.btp.police.uk/r/17169/coronavirus_act_prosecution_update_-_newcastle_

Deputy chief constable Adrian Hanstock said “There will be understandable concern that our interpretation of this new legislation has resulted in an ineffective prosecution

“This was in circumstances where officers were properly dealing with someone who was behaving suspiciously in the station & who staff believed to be travelling without a valid ticket ... Regardless, we fully accept that this shouldn’t have happened and we apologise."

This case is worrying. On the first time that new legislation was used, the police & CPS got it wrong -- this does not inspire confidence in the authorities at a time when government has given them unprecedented powers & the police have already been accused of acting excessively.

Why had neither the police, CPS, prosecutor in court, court clerk (whose function is to give legal advice to the magistrate/s) or tribunal (whether district judge or lay magistrates) read the law properly? Especially, on its 1st use, you'd think they'd give it anxious scrutiny.