3 Art. 2 GG: Protection of the Right of Personality

Abstract

This chapter discusses the provisions of Art. 2 of the Grundgesetz (GG) with respect to the right to free development of personality. It first explains the scope of protection for the two fundamental-rights guarantees that comprise the right to free development of personality: general freedom of action and general right of personality. It then considers the question of interference with both rights and the constitutional justification of such interferences and cites decisions made by the Federal Constitutional Court in various cases, including those concerning the right to informational self-determination and the constitutionality of regulations on preventive detention. It also examines the conflicts between fundamental rights with respect to Art. 2 para. 1 GG before concluding with an analysis of the scope of protection for the right to life and physical integrity and the doctrine of the state's duty to protect.