Hancock's Law-Breaking: What's The Verdict?

Matt Hancock, the former UK Health Secretary, has been accused of breaking the law on several occasions. In June 2021, images emerged of Hancock kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo, with whom he was allegedly having an affair. The images were taken on 6 May 2021, when indoor meetings between people from different households were banned under coronavirus restrictions. However, there were exceptions to this rule, including for gatherings that were reasonably necessary for work purposes. As both Hancock and Coladangelo worked in the Department of Health, legal experts have described the incident as a grey area. Hancock apologised for breaking non-enforceable social distancing guidance.

In February 2021, a High Court judge ruled that Hancock had acted 'unlawfully' by failing to publish details of a £14 million PPE contract within the legally specified timeframe. The contract was awarded to a company with no relevant experience in procuring medical supplies, and the company directors were acquaintances of Hancock. Hancock has also been accused of causing confusion by failing to distinguish between the law and stricter government guidance during the pandemic.

Matt Hancock's meeting with Gina Coladangelo

On June 25, 2021, Matt Hancock, the UK's then-health secretary, was pictured kissing aide Gina Coladangelo. The images, published by The Sun, showed the pair inside the London headquarters of the Department of Health, where they both worked.

At the time, indoor meetings between people from different households were banned under coronavirus laws, which were created as statutory instruments in Hancock's name. The restrictions, informally dubbed the "sex ban", were in place for much of the pandemic and formed part of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021.

However, there were several exceptions to the law, including for gatherings that were "reasonably necessary for work purposes". As Hancock and Coladangelo both worked in the Department of Health, experts say the incident sits in a legal "grey area".

Adam Wagner, a human rights barrister who has been closely following evolving coronavirus laws, said the question was not merely whether the pair were in the building for work purposes, but whether their interaction was "reasonably necessary" for work.

"There is an important question of whether the health secretary broke his own lockdown laws," Wagner said. "Private indoor meetings between people not living together were unlawful for most of the past year... if they went elsewhere to meet up, that would clearly be illegal."

Hancock apologised for breaking non-enforceable public health guidance, saying: "I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances, I have let people down and am very sorry... I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson supported Hancock, who kept his job, and considered the matter "closed".

Coronavirus laws imposed in Hancock's name

On June 25, 2021, Matt Hancock, the UK's then-health secretary, was pictured kissing his aide, Gina Coladangelo. This incident raised questions about whether Hancock had broken coronavirus laws imposed in his own name.

At the time, indoor meetings between people from different households were banned under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021. These regulations, created as statutory instruments in Hancock's name, were in place for much of the pandemic and informally dubbed the "sex ban".

However, there were exceptions to the law, including for gatherings that were "reasonably necessary for work purposes". As both Hancock and Coladangelo worked at the Department of Health and were pictured inside its London headquarters, experts deemed the incident a legal "grey area".

Adam Wagner, a human rights barrister, stated that the question was not merely whether the pair were in the building for work but whether their interaction was "reasonably necessary" for work. He highlighted the importance of determining if Hancock had broken his own lockdown laws.

While Hancock may have broken the law, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, supported him, and Hancock kept his job. Hancock apologised for breaking non-enforceable public health guidance and breaching social distancing rules.

Hancock's non-disclosure of PPE contract details

Matt Hancock, the UK's health secretary, was at the centre of the government's response to the Covid crisis since the pandemic began in March 2020. In this role, he was responsible for sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE).

In June 2020, Frances Stanley, a family 'acquaintance' of the Hancocks, was named a director of CH and L Ltd, a company with no website, no relevant experience in medical supplies, and only registered four months prior. CH and L Ltd was awarded a £14.4 million contract by the government to procure PPE.

Hancock failed to disclose details of this and other contracts within the required time period, according to law. He had a legal obligation to publish details of contracts within 30 days of them being awarded for public goods or services worth more than £120,000 to the taxpayer. The government's transparency policy also requires contractual details worth £10,000 or more to be published in the public's interest.

A High Court ruled that Hancock had "breached his legal obligation" by not making the details of the contracts awarded during the Covid pandemic public knowledge. Mr Justice Chamberlain, the presiding judge, described the sums spent by Hancock on Covid-related goods and services in 2020 as "vast quantities". He added: "The public were entitled to see who this money was going to, what it was being spent on, and how the relevant contracts were awarded."

The Good Law Project took legal action against Hancock and the health department for its "wholesale failure" to disclose this information during the pandemic.

In response to the High Court ruling, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had been working tirelessly to secure vital supplies within very short timescales and against a background of unparalleled global demand. A DHSC spokesperson added: "We fully recognise the importance of transparency in the award of public contracts and continue to publish information about contracts awarded as soon as possible."

The 'sex ban'

On 6 May 2021, Matt Hancock, the then UK Health Secretary, was pictured kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo. At the time, indoor meetings between people from different households were banned under coronavirus laws. This ban was informally dubbed the "sex ban".

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, which were in force at the time, banned indoor gatherings of two or more people unless they were subject to certain exemptions. One such exemption was for gatherings that were "reasonably necessary for work purposes".

As Hancock and Coladangelo both worked in the Department of Health and were pictured inside its London headquarters, experts have said that the incident sits in a legal "grey area". Adam Wagner, a human rights barrister, stated that the question was not merely whether the pair were in the building for work purposes, but whether their interaction was "reasonably necessary" for work.

The "sex ban" was in place for much of the pandemic under different versions of the Health Protection Regulations, which were created as statutory instruments in Hancock's name. At the start of the lockdown, government ministers and officials explicitly banned couples who did not live together from meeting. In September 2020, after restrictions were eased, Hancock said that only "established" couples should be meeting for sex.

The default punishment for breaking the Health Protection Regulations at the time was a £100 fine, which doubled for repeat offences to a maximum of £6,400. However, police were instructed to arrest people for breaking the law only as a "last resort".

Social distancing rules

At the time Matt Hancock was pictured kissing aide Gina Coladangelo, indoor meetings between people from different households were banned unless they qualified for a legal exemption. One such exemption was for gatherings that were "reasonably necessary for work purposes". As Hancock and Coladangelo both worked in the Department of Health and were pictured inside its London headquarters, experts say the incident sits in a legal "grey area".

Human rights barrister Adam Wagner stated that the question was not merely whether the pair were in the building for work purposes but whether their interaction was "reasonably necessary" for work. He highlighted the importance of determining whether the health secretary had broken his own lockdown laws.

In response to the incident, Hancock issued a statement apologising for breaching social distancing guidance and letting people down. He also affirmed his focus on leading the country out of the pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson supported Hancock, who remained in his role as health secretary.

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