Van Morrison will sue the Northern Ireland government over a “general ban” on live music in authorized venues resulting from coronavirus restrictions, his lawyer said on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Joe Rice said the Northern Irish singer-songwriter, who has released several protest songs against Covid-19 rules in recent months, will ask a high court in Belfast to review the policy.
“We will seek judicial review permission to challenge the general ban on live music in licensed venues in Northern Ireland,” Rice said. “We are not aware of any credible scientific or medical evidence to justify this special ban … and we will challenge this in court.”
Britain, the country most affected by the virus in Europe, is battling its third and deadliest wave, accused of a new strain that is believed to be extremely infectious.
The decentralized governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are responsible for health policy, have imposed all strict blocking measures at various stages of the health crisis.
The Northern Irish executive in Belfast has introduced regulations banning live music at licensed venues in Northern Ireland.
All hospitality and entertainment venues are closed as part of a six-week lockout, but Morrison is keen to challenge the rules for when they reopen.
Rice mentioned that the singer managed to sing in England several times at the end of last year, before the British government tightened the rules there.
He said he expected the case to be heard in the high court within “weeks”.
Morrison is taking action “on behalf of thousands of musicians, artists, venues and those involved in the live music industry,” Rice said.
The singer sparked controversy during the pandemic, in August last year she allegedly urged people to “fight against pseudoscience” around Covid-19.
A month later, at two-week intervals, he released a trio of new songs – called Born To Be Free, As I Walked Out and No More Lockdown – containing controversial lyrics.
These included: “No more government excesses / No more fascist fighters / No more disturbing our peace,” as well as “No more taking our liberty / And our God-given rights / Doing it for our safety / When is it really to we are enslaved ”.