German court bans Sunday trading

Germany’s highest court today ruled that shops must remain closed on Sundays, overturning new rules in Berlin that allowed them to open seven days a week.

The Constitutional Court said that the wider shopping hours violated the nation’s constitution that upholds Sunday as a day of rest.

In 2006 Berlin eased strict legislation and allowed shops to open on the four Sundays before Christmas, as well as two other Sundays in the year. It also allowed shops to remain open for 24-hours during the week.

Germany’s Lutheran and Catholic churches had challenged the ruling they said violated the nation’s constitution that guarantees the right to a day of rest on Sunday.