COVID-19: Judiciary news
On 7 April 2020, Royal Decree No. 1 was published on the fight against non-compliance with emergency measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus through the implementation of municipal administrative sanctions.
The Royal Decree No. 2 concerned the extension of limitation periods and other time limits for taking legal action, as well as the extension of procedural time limits and written proceedings before the courts and tribunals.
The Royal Decree No. 3 contains various provisions relating to criminal procedure and the enforcement of penalties and measures provided for in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The Royal Decree No. 4 contains various provisions on co-ownership and company and association law in the context of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.You can of course consult them on the website of the Moniteur belge.
On July 1, 2020, the government extended the justice measures.
Specifically, the following measures are extended until the end of September 2021:
- lawyers continue to take an oath in writing;
- notarised powers of attorney remain free of charge, provided that they take effect until 30 September 2021;
- certain judicial documents may be filed electronically;
- the measures taken to limit the spread of the virus in prisons continue to apply;
- the increase in the thresholds of non-seizability remains applicable;
The measure relating to the interruption of the execution of the sentence due to the pandemic is extended until 15 October 2021.