Brandenburg's court: Mask requirement remains - ban on gatherings overturned!

Brandenburg's court: Mask requirement remains - ban on gatherings overturned!

On June 28, 2025, a current decision by the Brandenburg Constitutional Court caused a sensation. The judges declared the mask requirement from 2020, which was introduced during the corona pandemic, to be legal after a legal action by the AfD parliamentary group. In contrast, the ban on public and private gatherings at that time was declared unconstitutional. This could have far-reaching consequences for future anti-health regulations.

The mask requirement, which was imposed by the state government in May 2020 to curb health risks, applied to everyone aged six and over in shops and on public transport. In addition, public and private gatherings were largely prohibited; only outdoor events with up to 50 people were permitted, provided they were approved.

Development of the Corona rules

The legal framework surrounding the Corona regulations has been continuously adapted. The judges of the Constitutional Court decided on June 3, 2020 that meetings with more than 150 participants were again possible under certain conditions, but remained subject to approval. In addition, the mask requirement was considered to be acceptable for the time being in this decision.

The new regulations, which came into force on June 12, 2020, resulted in significant relaxations. Public and private events, such as church services and concerts, were allowed to be organized with up to 1,000 people, while there was no longer an upper limit for demonstrations. However, minimum distances and access control remain essential.

Legal consequences and political reactions

With the current decision, the court underlines the necessity of some health precautionary measures while at the same time questioning the ban on gatherings. The majority of the AfD's legal action for regulatory control was unsuccessful. This lawsuit, which sought to question the legal basis of the Corona regulations, was not considered valid by the judges. Although the legal disputes over the pandemic measures are sometimes heatedly discussed in public, the judges admit that the mask requirement is justified to contain health risks, which brings a breath of fresh air into the debate.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the Corona rules in Brandenburg. It is clear that the legal disputes and the political debate about how to properly deal with future pandemics or health crises are not over. For the people of Cologne, this means that they must remain vigilant and prepare for possible changes to the regulations.

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