DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

15 October 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Election 2025
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Election 2025
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Appeal court will rule on coronavirus curfew legality next week

February 19, 2021
Protest leader Willem Engel (with patterned shirt) outside the court. Photo: Jeroen Jumelet ANP
Protest leader Willem Engel (with patterned shirt) outside the court. Photo: Jeroen Jumelet ANP

Appeal court judges tasked with deciding if the Dutch government’s curfew is legal or not will not announce their verdict until a week today.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, more time will be needed to reach a decision and ‘we want to think about it calmly,’ the court said on Friday. It had been hoped that a decision would be reached today.

The decision means that the curfew will remain in place at least until then, much to the irritation of campaign group Viruswaarheid which called for the curfew to be ruled illegal in the first place.

Parallel to the legal case, the government is pushing emergency legislation through parliament which will anchor the curfew in law. On Thursday, the lower house of parliament gave its backing to the bill, and the senate will vote later on Friday.

The rush to pass legislation follows Tuesday’s lower court ruling in which judges said that the curfew was illegal because it was based on legislation designed to be evoked at times of national emergency, such as a dyke breach.

Ministers then launched an appeal, which resulted in Tuesday night’s decision that the curfew remain in place until the appeal court has had its say.

Research by I&O published this week shows that four in five of the Dutch think the curfew is justified.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Uncategorized
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Dutch flag sparks debate as far right claim a national symbol
Election watch: Wilders returns, JA21 fiddles the figures
Ukrainian refugees contributed €3.5bn to Dutch economy last year
Romanian man “checked out Drents Museum“ days before robbery
Dutch soldier killed during training exercise in Germany
NewsHomeEconomyElection 2025Art and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now