Van Morrison has filed a lawsuit against the Northern Ireland Department of Health and its Minister Robin Swann over an opinion written for Rolling Stone magazine.
In September 2020, Morrison released three anti-blocking songs, with lyrics accusing scientists of “fabricating false facts.”
“The new normal is not normal,” he sang. “We were born to be free.”
In response, Swann wrote for American magazine, describing Morrison’s songs as a “smear” on those involved in the public health response to the virus, and highlighting the damage the musician could do to public announcements about Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
In the song, Swann expressed a “true sense of disappointment” from Morrison, whom he called a “musical legend.”
“If you see all this as a big conspiracy, then you are less likely to follow vital public health advice that keeps you and others safe,” Swann wrote.
“His words will give great consolation to conspiracy theorists – the tinfoil hat brigade, which is on a crusade against masks and vaccines and believes that all this is a huge global conspiracy to abolish freedoms.
Swan called Morrison’s actions “strange and irresponsible” and said: “I just hope no one takes him seriously. He is neither a guru nor a teacher. ”
Morrison’s lawyers, John J. Rice and Co., confirmed that he was taking legal action against the Department of Health and Swann, but declined to say why.
The Northern Ireland Ministry of Health has told the BBC it will not comment on active legal issues.
Morrison’s actions against Swann follow the Ulster Unionist Minister to file a lawsuit against Morrison in November 2021.
In June, four of Morrison’s concerts at the Europa Hotel in Belfast were canceled at the last minute due to Northern Ireland’s “general ban” on live music in licensed locations as part of its coronavirus restrictions.
During a dinner on the spot, Morrison and DUP MP Ian Paisley chanted that Swan was “very dangerous.”
Paisley said after the event: “I certainly don’t believe Robin is dangerous. I think the parody and sarcasm of this comment is obvious. There is a balance in all these issues, and sometimes we misunderstand them, and sometimes we misunderstand them. We all have the right to our own views on how blocking is managed. “
Swann’s case against Morrison is also understood as referring to two additional incidents: an interview in which Morrison claimed to have described Swann as a “fraud” and a video in which he repeated the “dangerous” accusation.
Morrison’s law firm responded: “Mr Morrison argues in the context of this defense that the words he uses are of public interest and constitute fair comment.
In January 2021, Morrison said he intended to ask the Belfast Supreme Court to reconsider the policy of banning live music.
“We will seek permission for a judicial review to challenge the total ban on live music on licensed premises in Northern Ireland,” his lawyer, Joe Rice, said at the time. “We are not aware of any credible scientific or medical evidence to justify this particular total ban… and we will challenge this in the Supreme Court.”
Last August, however, Morrison dropped the challenge.
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