A smoker and two restaurant owners challenged the constitutionality of provisions in the Public Health Protection Act regarding the ban on smoking in restaurants. In this final decision, the Court determined that it would not rule on the constitutional complaints because they had no significant basis under constitutional law. Additionally, the Court referenced an earlier ruling that legislators are not prevented by the constitution from giving preference to public health rather than to the rights negatively impacted by the Public Health Protection Act, particularly the right of the restaurant owner to practice his or her chosen profession and the right of the smoker to smoke.
N., et al. v. Bavaria, 1BvR 3198/07, BVerfG, Bundesverfassungsgericht [Federal Constitutional Court] (2008).
Germany
Aug 6, 2008
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Tobacco companies or front groups may challenge any legislative or regulatory measure that affects their business interests. Unlike public interest litigation, these cases seek to weaken health measures. These cases frequently involve the industry proceeding against the government. For example, a group of restaurant owners challenging a smoke free law as unconstitutional.
A violation of the right to carry on trade, business, or profession of a person’s choice. This right may also be called the right to free enterprise or economic freedom. The industry may argue that a business should be able to conduct its business without government regulation, including whether or not to be smoke free.
A violation of property rights, sometimes in the form of an expropriation or a taking by the government. The tobacco industry may argue that regulations amount to a taking of property rights because they prevent the use of intellectual property such as trademarks.
The tobacco companies and some individual plaintiffs argue that there is a right to smoke.
Type of Tobacco Product
None
Limitations regarding the use of quotes The quotes provided here reflect statements from a specific decision. Accordingly, the International Legal Consortium (ILC) cannot guarantee that an appellate court has not reversed a lower court decision which may influence the applicability or influence of a given quote. All quotes have been selected based on the subjective evaluations undertaken by the ILC meaning that quotes provided here may not accurately or comprehensively represent a given court’s opinion or conclusion, as such quotes may have originally appeared alongside other negative opinions or accompanying facts. Further, some quotes are derived from unofficial English translations, which may alter their original meaning. We emphasize the need to review the original decision and related decisions before authoritatively relying on quotes. Using quotes provided here should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter in any jurisdiction. Please see the full limitations at https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/about.
"As long as Art. 2, No. 8 GSG makes it a prerequisite of the smoking ban that the restaurant be "open to the public" and it is therefore inferred in practice – which cannot be objected to constitutionally – that under certain conditions "smoking clubs" are not covered by the smoking ban in restaurants (see the Guidance for Implementation from the Bavarian Ministry for Environment, Health and Consumer Protection), it can also not constitute a violation of the right of the complainant in 2) to practice her chosen profession (Art. 12, Paragraph 1 GG). Nothing else applies with regard to the autonomy (Art. 2, Paragraph 1 GG), which the complainant in 3) can claim as a foreign national for his profession (see BVerfGE 104, 337 <346>). Financial burdens that cannot be applied equally or that are unacceptable for individual classes of the restaurant industry are not displayed with the constitutional complaints and can also not be identified. The possibility of turning a restaurant into the establishment of a "smoking club", whose members are allowed to smoke there, does not depend on requirements that the owners of certain groups of restaurants cannot satisfy. The requirements mentioned in the Guidelines for Implementation for the approval of a "smoking club" – fixed member structure with familiar or available member list, admission controls with the exclusion of "walk-in customers", no purchasing of membership at the entrance of the restaurant – can be met particularly in specially organized restaurants such as that of the complainant in 3) or in "drink-oriented minor gastronomy" (getränkegeprägten Kleingastronomie)."
Limitations regarding the use of quotes The quotes provided here reflect statements from a specific decision. Accordingly, the International Legal Consortium (ILC) cannot guarantee that an appellate court has not reversed a lower court decision which may influence the applicability or influence of a given quote. All quotes have been selected based on the subjective evaluations undertaken by the ILC meaning that quotes provided here may not accurately or comprehensively represent a given court’s opinion or conclusion, as such quotes may have originally appeared alongside other negative opinions or accompanying facts. Further, some quotes are derived from unofficial English translations, which may alter their original meaning. We emphasize the need to review the original decision and related decisions before authoritatively relying on quotes. Using quotes provided here should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter in any jurisdiction. Please see the full limitations at https://www.tobaccocontrollaws.org/about.
A smoker and two restaurant owners challenged the constitutionality of provisions in the Public Health Protection Act regarding the ban on smoking in restaurants. In this final decision, the Court determined that it would not rule on the constitutional complaints because they had no significant basis under constitutional law. Additionally, the Court referenced an earlier ruling that legislators are not prevented by the constitution from giving preference to public health rather than to the rights negatively impacted by the Public Health Protection Act, particularly the right of the restaurant owner to practice his or her chosen profession and the right of the smoker to smoke.