Over the past weeks, the public criticism on Corona fines has been growing. Today it was announced that the Office of the Public Prosecutor revoked a penal fine that was imposed for violation of the Covid 19-measures (the so-called 'Corona fine'). This seems to be the first case in which this decision has been taken. Our lawyer, Frederieke Dölle, already publicly criticised the current policy in the Dutch newspaper Trouw. She pointed out the law enforcement seems to be random and that the (local) laws on which these fines are based lack legitimacy.
We therefore continue to advise people who are confronted with a Corona fine to lodge an objection. The case will then be judged by a court of law. In our experience, judges tend to take more consideration of the specific circumstances of the case and are therefore less likely to impose (high) penalties. Furthermore, from today's news it became clear that the Office of the Public Prosecutor may also be willing to revoke the fine.
For more information, please contact Frederieke Dölle or Barbara van Straaten.