Emergency State (book)

Emergency State
AuthorAdam Wagner
LanguageEnglish
SubjectCOVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom
PublisherThe Bodley Head of Penguin Random House
Publication date
2022
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Pages222
ISBN978-1-847-92746-0

Emergency State: How We lost Our Freedoms in the Pandemic and Why it Matters is a book by UK human rights lawyer Adam Wagner.[1][2] The book explores how the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated Government response had unprecedented powers to make and change legislation at will without accountability and what safeguards could be created to prevent this in the future.[3] Wagner was appointed to work on the Independent Commission on UK Public Health Emergency Powers.[3][4]

In this book, Wagner argues that COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom brought the country as close to a police state as in living memory.[5] Wagner makes suggestions in response to events during the pandemic including suggesting a review of the fixed penalty notices and other penalties issues during COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom, for a codified constitution in the United Kingdom, and for opposition members of parliament to be involved in pandemic meetings.[6]

The book comprises a preface and nine chapters: States of Emergency, Very Strong Measures, Take It on the Chin, You Must Stay at Home, The Lockdown Bites, Patchwork Summer, The Darkest Winter, Step by Step, and Freedom Regained?.[1]: 1, Table of contents  The second to eighth chapters are ordered chronologically and summarise the number of cases and deaths.

The book has notes, a list of relevant legislation, and index of cases.[1]: 177, 219, 221 It provides an infographic showing how covid cases and deaths progressed during the pandemic and which restrictrictions were in place at these times and a timeline of restrictions.[1]: 172,173 

  1. ^ a b c d Wagner, Adam (2022). Emergency state : the freedoms we lost in the pandemic and how to get them back. London. ISBN 978-1-84792-746-0. OCLC 1338679624.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ "How we lost our freedoms – read all about it". Law Gazette. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  3. ^ a b Cunliffe, Rachel (2022-10-13). ""We are uniquely unprotected" from our own government: Adam Wagner on the Emergency State". New Statesman. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  4. ^ "The lockdown bonfire of Britain's freedoms | John Jolliffe". The Critic Magazine. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  5. ^ "Book review: Emergency State: How We Lost Our Freedoms in the Pandemic and Why it Matters - When Covid ruled us". www.thejc.com. Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  6. ^ Letts, Quentin. "Emergency State by Adam Wagner review — how liberty became lockdown's first casualty". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 2022-09-24. Retrieved 2022-10-23.