(Un)Governing: COVID-19 response in the UK

The United Kingdom’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed fractures in the constitutional settlement of power between government, parliament, and the devolved legislatures, and has been characterised by hypertrophied executive dominance, U-turn policymaking, and the extended adoption of severely restrictive measures. This chapter examines the challenges the pandemic has presented to law and governance, parliamentary oversight and accountability, devolution, and for human rights, civil liberties and access to justice within the wider political, economic and social context. It critically analyses the law and decision-making process in response to the global health emergency across the UK, and in doing so, highlights where reform is needed in preparation for future crises.