On 1st May 2020 Central Chambers were pleased to participate in an online Zoom conference hosted by Caniad, the combined voice for mental health and substance misuse involvement in North Wales.

Ben Knight, Mark Pritchard and Tony Williams all fielded questions relating to the impact of the lockdown restrictions in Wales on service users with histories of mental health problems and substance misuse – and discussed when they might have a reasonable excuse for leaving their home.

Denise Charles on behalf of Caniad said:

“During the lockdown, we have had a lot of people we work with contacting us due to the anxiety about what they can and can’t do under the government guidance.

Caniad have been holding Zoom sessions each week, about Mental Health and Substance Misuse and support during these times.

As we have had so many requests about the lockdown guidance, we contacted Central Chambers as they have written guidance on this. They kindly agreed to do a question and answer session over Zoom, giving clear guidance and answering the questions in layman’s terms.”

Tony Williams has drafted a guide to the lockdown regulations in Wales (see below or click here) with a view to clarifying what the law says and when a person may have a reasonable excuse for leaving their home.

Central Chambers are prepared to offer advice and assistance to any person who experiences legal difficulties as a result of the lockdown. We are pleased to offer virtual conferences and, from any laptop computer, you will need no additional software. We have found that lay clients appreciate this convenient service.

Tony Williams on the meaning of the Welsh regulations: