Covid-19 policing in the pandemic: analysis of reports submitted to the Covid-19 Policing in Australia Coalition

On 25 January 2020 Victorian Health Authorities confirmed the first case of Covid-19 in Australia.1 By the end of March all states and territories as well as the Commonwealth of Australia had passed Covid-19 related laws. State and Territory governments remained responsible for the operational aspects of public health and security measures within their jurisdiction, and it is these laws and policing that form the focus of this report.2 State and territory laws created new criminal offences and expanded police authority to issue fines or charge and created considerable confusion about what conduct was permitted. At various times it has been an offence to leave home without a lawful excuse and for more than two people to gather in public. It was in this context that a coalition of legal and human rights advocacy organisations formed the Covid-19 Policing Project (the ‘Project’) over common concern about the expansion of police authority to enforce new public health laws in the pandemic.