The Court of Appeal on 25 October dismissed Nicolae and Florin Mazarache’s challenge to fixed-penalty notices they received after Gardaí stopped them at Dublin Airport during the April 2021 lockdown. The father and son were travelling to Spain to visit family when officers deemed the journey non-essential under emergency health regulations then in force. Each was issued with a €2,000 fine for breaching the ban on non-essential international travel.
In their High Court action, the pair argued that the regulations were unconstitutional and that the airport stop amounted to an unlawful restriction on freedom of movement. The High Court rejected those claims in 2024; the new ruling confirms that decision, finding the emergency legislation proportionate to the public-health threat and properly enacted by Parliament.
Although the pandemic rules have long since lapsed, the judgment is significant for global-mobility and travel-risk teams. First, it removes lingering doubts about the legality of on-the-spot enforcement at ports of entry, underscoring that travellers—citizens and residents alike—are subject to public-health restrictions at the border. Second, it sets a precedent that could be cited should Ireland (or the EU) re-impose travel curbs during future health crises.
Companies with historical outstanding fines for staff travel during the 2021 lockdown may find appeals harder to sustain. Lawyers also note that the decision strengthens the State’s hand in defending compensation claims from individuals who were denied boarding or forcibly quarantined. As many employers review crisis-management policies post-Covid, the ruling is a reminder to embed clear compliance clauses in assignment contracts covering extraordinary governmental measures.
In their High Court action, the pair argued that the regulations were unconstitutional and that the airport stop amounted to an unlawful restriction on freedom of movement. The High Court rejected those claims in 2024; the new ruling confirms that decision, finding the emergency legislation proportionate to the public-health threat and properly enacted by Parliament.
Although the pandemic rules have long since lapsed, the judgment is significant for global-mobility and travel-risk teams. First, it removes lingering doubts about the legality of on-the-spot enforcement at ports of entry, underscoring that travellers—citizens and residents alike—are subject to public-health restrictions at the border. Second, it sets a precedent that could be cited should Ireland (or the EU) re-impose travel curbs during future health crises.
Companies with historical outstanding fines for staff travel during the 2021 lockdown may find appeals harder to sustain. Lawyers also note that the decision strengthens the State’s hand in defending compensation claims from individuals who were denied boarding or forcibly quarantined. As many employers review crisis-management policies post-Covid, the ruling is a reminder to embed clear compliance clauses in assignment contracts covering extraordinary governmental measures.
