French Court Strikes Down Burkini Ban

On Friday, the Administrative Court in Nice overturned the ban on wearing burkinis on the beach in the seaside resort of Mandelieu-la-Napoule on the French Riviera. It ruled that the ban on full-body swimwear seriously and unlawfully violates three fundamental freedoms: freedom of movement, freedom of conscience and personal liberty.

According to the DPA news agency, the municipality near Cannes justified the measure by claiming that clothing expressing religious affiliation poses a threat to public order. However, the judges noted that the municipality had not presented any evidence and had cited only two incidents from 10 and 14 years ago.

In 2012, Mandelieu-la-Napoule became the first resort town to implement this ban. The conservative mayor repeatedly renewed the measure even though the Council of State, France's highest administrative court, had already overturned the ban on wearing burkinis on beaches years ago. Nevertheless, some coastal towns continued to enforce the ban during the summer.

The decision is the latest development in a long-standing, heated debate in France over Muslim women's clothing. The country considers itself a secular state with a strict separation of church and state. The issue of religious symbols in public spaces therefore repeatedly sparks controversy, with discussions focusing primarily on Islam.

(max)