Lockdowns and Human Rights: A British Perspective: Human rights do not cease to exist during a crisis. Indeed it is on these occasions they become most important. The government had the right to act as it did based on the information available to it when the virus arrived in Britain. Since then the situation has changed, and the government’s policy must change accordingly. Every hour British citizens’ rights are curtailed is another affront to a proud tradition of balancing rights and protecting distinctly British values.