Dan McLaughlin explains at National Review Online why the revival of the American economy requires a key change to the legal system.
What will it take to reopen the U.S. economy and civil society? One obstacle that may stand in the way is the fear of lawsuits. State legislatures and Congress should act now to limit the threat of lawsuits so as to encourage economically and socially necessary activities that are bound to carry some risks. Doing so is a legitimate exercise of the power to make laws that allocate liability and decide what kinds of commerce, schooling, and public gatherings can proceed without government interference.
The chief reason to act in advance to head off civil lawsuits is to avoid the danger that businesses, schools, and other institutions will be excessively cautious and risk-averse in reopening when it is in society’s interests for them to do so. Right now, many institutions are shut down by direct order of the government; others closed voluntarily before government orders were issued, or have closed without being required to do so. Eventually, government restrictions will relax, and that will leave business leaders, school administrators, church leaders, sports-team owners, and others with decisions about when it is safe to open up again. Most of them, however, will be told by the government what they can do, not what they should do.
In making that decision, they are almost certainly going to talk to their lawyers and worry about legal risk. They will be told that they have some defenses, particularly if they can claim they were relying on the guidance of government leaders and public-health experts. … Still, uncertainty will linger. Small businesses such as barber shops and nail salons are less likely to have lawyers handy for consultation.
Follow Carolina Journal Online’s continuing coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
