ECHR upholds French burka ban

Posted By: James

Wednesday 2nd July 2014

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld a French ban on wearing a burka or a niqab in public. The ECHR declared there had been no violation of the Article 8 right to respect for private and family life and no violation of Article 9 - which protects respect for freedom of thought, conscience and religion - or Article 14, which prohibits discrimination. In reaching their ruling, the European judges had taken into account the French submission that the face "played a significant role in social interaction". Although the law had "specific negative effects" on Muslim women, it had "an objective and reasonable justification", the court ruled. However. the judgment was criticised by James Goldston, the executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative: "Coming at a time when hostility to ethnic and religious minorities is on the rise in many parts of Europe, the court's decision is an unfortunate missed opportunity to reaffirm the importance of equal treatment for all and the fundamental right to religious belief and expression," he said.

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