Sir Van Morrison will challenge the Northern Irish government in court over the “blanket ban” on live music in the country – imposed as a measure to control the spread of the coronavirus – according to his lawyer.

Joe Rice, Morrison’s solicitor, highlighted that different restrictions in England permitted some live music performance under the tier system – after the risk of certain areas had been assessed. However, in Northern Ireland, no such restrictions have been defined. On Tuesday, Rice confirmed that a “pre-action protocol letter” had been sent on behalf of Sir Van to the NI Executive Department of Health.

“We will be seeking leave for judicial review to challenge the blanket ban on live music in licensed premises in Northern Ireland,” Rice confirmed to RTE. “We’re not aware of any credible scientific or medical evidence to justify this particular blanket ban … and we’re going to challenge this in the high court.”

Hospitality and entertainment venues are all currently closed as a measure of the six-week lockdown imposed by the NI government. Like the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, the NI executive has the responsibility for health policy, with the authority to impose lockdowns should they be deemed necessary.

Commenting on the decision, Rice said: “Many people in the music and arts world in Northern Ireland have been devastated financially, socially and artistically by this complete ban.” He told RTE that the singer-songwriter is asking the High Court in Belfast to review the current policy on behalf of the “thousands of musicians, artists, venues and those involved in the live music industry,” adding that the evidence behind the decision in Northern Ireland is “far from obvious”, echoing Morrison’s own convictions.

Day 98 – since I asked the Northern Ireland Health Minister to disclose all the scientific evidence for the blanket ban on live music. We are still waiting.

— Van Morrison (@vanmorrison) January 4, 2021