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German High Court Says Berlin Went Too Far In Sunday Store Openings

By Howard M. Friedman

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court yesterday ruled that the city of Berlin had gone too far in permitting stores to be open on ten Sundays per year, including the four Sundays before Christmas. According to The Local, the justices cited the so-called Church Article of the 1919 Weimar Constitution that provides Sundays are to remain protected as days of rest and spiritual improvement. In the constitutional challenge that was brought by Protestant and Catholic churches, the court ruled that Berlin may allow stores to open on a few Sundays each year when the city government deems it in the public interest. However after this year it may no longer permit them to remain open all four Sundays before Christmas. Here is the full text of the high court's decision in German.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on December 02, 2009 (boomark / email).