Court rules COVID restrictions for Tokyo restaurant chain illegal

A Japanese court ruled that an order for restaurant chain operator Global-Dining Inc. to reduce business hours amid the coronavirus pandemic was illegal, as it did not fulfill certain conditions.

Presiding Judge Norihiro Matsuda stated in his decision that it is difficult to acknowledge that Global-Dining enhanced the chance of the virus spreading throughout the community.

He further claimed that because the directive was issued just days before the state of emergency was removed, it had "just a little influence on infection management."

The metropolitan government claims that Global-Dining's commnets on its website caused other eateries to be hesitant to comply with the decree. The court, however, disagreed.

Global-Dining, on the other hand, claims that imposing blanket limits without providing evidence that restaurants are a source of illnesses is a violation of the Constitutional right of corporate freedom.

The firm, which owns and operates dozens of eateries, promptly filed an appeal.