Calls for Covid fine amnesty by senior Tories to ‘wipe slate clean’ for nearly 30,000 prosecuted

Nearly 30,00 people received fines for breaches of Covid rules, including those caught up in the Partygate scandal, such as Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson

The former justice secretary has called for an amnesty for more than 29,000 people convicted for breaking Covid rules.

Sir Robert Buckland, who oversaw the courts during the pandemic, said the 29,383 people fined over Covid rule breaches should have their “slates wiped clean”.

Among who received fines for breaching Covid regulations were prime minister Rishi Sunak and then-prime minister Boris Johnson in what became known as the Partygate scandal.

But Sir Robert said the individuals risked seeing their career prospects being hampered by convictions during what was an “exceptional time”.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Sir Robert said: “It is not proportionate or necessary at a time when we want to encourage and support as many people back to work as possible. If it is not being recorded in the usual way as a previous conviction, I would wipe the slate clean.”

His calls were backed by former cabinet ministers Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sir David Davis.

Sir Robert Buckland said those fined during the pandemic should have their ‘slates wiped clean’ (PA Wire)

Sir Jacob said the fines given out during the pandemic now look “entirely disproportionate”, while Sir David said all but the most serious breaches should be “obliterated” from the record.

The current justice secretary, Alex Chalk, is sympathetic to the idea of wiping the slate clean, a source told the paper.

Data from the Ministry of Justice shows fines of up to £10,000, totalling £26m, were given to more than 29,000 people. The largest share of the total was from fines given to those in their 30s, at £6.9m, with those 20 and under paying out £3.3m.

Almost a third of Covid prosecutions turned out to be wrongful, figures revealed in the wake of the pandemic. Data obtained by The Independent showed that 29 per cent of charges reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) since March 2020 were found to be “incorrect” – 839 in total.

The Covid fine figure includes 528 of more than 2,500 prosecutions under the Health Protection Regulations, which were the laws broken by politicians and civil servants fined over Downing Street parties.