Circuit court also deems lawful restrictions against Tallinn Old Town bars

Photo: JAANUS LENSMENT/POSTIMEES

The Tallinn circuit court on Thursday upheld a decision made by the administrative court to not allow an appeal submitted by OU Valli, Lab OU, Acacia Trade OU, Taco Express OU, Nimeta Management OU, St. Patrick's OU and Kanteron BVI OU in connection with a decision of the Tallinn city government to impose economic activity restrictions on bars mainly situated on Suur-Karja Street in the Old Town, and changed the decision of the lower-tier court regarding M&A Pubid OU.

The court found that the city government's decision regarding all the aforementioned enterprises is lawful. The court deemed probable that as a result of restrictions on 10 bars in the Old Town, the number of people who gather in the region during nighttime declines, a spokesperson for the court Anneli Vilu told BNS.

The circuit court also decided not to satisfy an appeal of M&A Pubid OU which the previous court had satisfied.

The Tallinn city government in October 2015 decided to impose economic activity restrictions on 10 bars mainly situated in Suur- Karja Street in the Old Town, and the restrictions include a ban to sell alcohol from Monday to Friday from midnight to 5 a.m. and from Saturday to Sunday from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The restrictions concern Nimeta bar, Shooters, St. Patrick, Labor, Labor 2, Route 13, Valli bar, Taco Express, Dubliner and Bayern Bohmen Keller.

Representatives of the ten bars in November lodged a complaint with the ministers of economy and justice, saying that notably shortening the opening hours of the bars would mean that their business operations would suffer.

Thursday's decision can be appealed until Feb. 6.