Le Monde, 31 March 2010

Banning the burqa anti-constitutional

Published on 30 March 2010 at 22:13
Le Monde, 31 March 2010

Cover

France will not be able to impose a “general and absolute” ban on the wearing of the full-body veil in public because that would be unconstitutional. This is, in a nutshell, the opinion handed down on 30 March by the Conseil d’Etat (Council of State) to the French government. The principle of secularism invoked by the government, which is "hell bent on legislating on the wearing of the full-body veil”, applies to institutions and public agents, but not to society as a whole or individuals, save in public establishments, explains Le Monde. A ban grounded in the principle of human dignity is not admissible either, argues the Council of State, pointing out that the European Court of Human Rights protects the exercise of free will as long as it does not harm others. So it recommends imposing a ban in certain places: polling stations, courts, examination rooms (i.e. at public schools and universities) etc. Concurrently, on 31 March, Belgian MPs at a special committee meeting came out in favour of a law to ban the burqa in public, even in the street, which would be a first in Europe.

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic