Berlin Court Scraps Mandatory Restaurant Closing Times

A judge in Berlin has dismissed the imposed closing time of restaurants at 11 p.m. in summary proceedings.

 

It cannot be legally substantiated and does not make a significant contribution to the fight against the virus, the magistrate ruled.

Eleven restaurants had brought two actions to the court.

He praises the efforts of the government to contain the spread of the virus, but according to him the closing time of 11 p.m. does not make a demonstrable contribution to this.

The judge said that the German health authorities at the Robert Koch Institute have shown with their statistics that closure at a particular time does not provide any additional benefit in addition to the restrictions already in place, such as hygiene measures or maximum numbers of customers.

The judge also sees no point in the prohibition to serve alcohol after 11 p.m., but the plaintiffs had not contested this. The ban, therefore, remains unaffected.