Since 2013, an increasing number of cases regarding ethnic discrimination when entering a nightclub were brought to court. While supporting such cases, BUG suggested an amendment of the Statute on Restaurants and Pubs in order to enable authorities to play an active role in such discrimination cases and not leave this solely to persons concerned by discrimination. 

The “Landtag” of Lower Saxony adopted an amendment of the Statute on Restaurants on December 19, 2015. This amendment allowed the public order office to inflict sanctions in case of discrimination when entering a nightclub. When people are denied entry because of their origin or their religion, the court can impose a fine of up to 10.000 € and in case of repeated breaches, the court can withdraw the license. Thereby, the principle of equal treatment from civil law was introduced to public law for the first time. People concerned do not necessarily have to get active themselves, but the local order office, responsible for enforcing rules for restaurants and pubs, has now the legal competence to impose sanctions in such cases.