A state of emergency is a situation in which a government may enact policies it would not otherwise be allowed to, for the safety or protection of citizens. It can be declared before, during or after a natural disaster, civil unrest, armed conflict, medical pandemic or other biosecurity threat and can alter government operations and suspend regular civil rights.
The state of emergency is usually temporary, and the government tries to reintroduce normality as soon as possible. However, it may keep the police force on high alert to prevent a terrorist attack and may deploy special forces to combat riots or sabotage, and may restrict freedom of movement and press freedom to limit media influence, and it may allow military courts and extralegal detention to deal with threats.
In the United Kingdom, the British Sovereign, on the advice of the Privy Council (or a Minister on their behalf), has the power to introduce emergency regulations, known as states of emergency or states of war, under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. They can be applied nationwide or to a specific region and last up to 30 days, but they can also be extended. Civil rights such as the right to free assembly, association and expression can be suspended, but basic human rights like life, the ban on torture and freedom of religion cannot.
The state of emergency allows for the government to impose restrictions on the activities of civil society, such as restricting travel or stopping demonstrations, although it requires proportionality with respect to risk and must always be reviewed. States of emergency may also exclude members of parliament and other parliamentary bodies, restrict freedom of speech and the press, suspend elections for local government bodies or referendums, and change the constitution.