The Quebec government says it trusts police judgement in enforcing the province’s new curfew measures announced on Jan. 7, but civil liberties groups are voicing concern about the move. This week, Quebec became the first province in Canada to impose a pandemic-related curfew, with premier Francois Legault pointing to the province’s overburdened hospitals as justification for the four-week curfew, to begin Jan. 9. The curfew will prohibit people from leaving their homes between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless they are going to work or in certain situations deemed “essential,” such as receiving health care or attending night school. Those who break curfew rules could face fines ranging from $ 1,000 to $6,000. Joanna Baron, executive director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, says the curfew largely duplicates other measures already in place, offering questionable support in stemming COVID-19 while significantly impacting civil liberties. “Contacts with people outside of your immediate …