French court overturns burkini ban in Cannes

Overturned: A French court has overturned a ban on burkinis in Cannes
AFP/Getty Images
Fiona Simpson30 August 2016

A French court has overturned a ban on burkinis in glamorous Cannes.

The holiday hotspot was the first of a number of resorts to implement the controversial ban which sparked outrage across the globe.

However, the court in Nice today concluded that the Cannes decree violated basic freedoms.

It ruled it was illegal because there were no proven risks of disruption to public order, or reasons of hygiene or decency, for the ban in the famous Riviera resort.

The decision followed a ruling by a top French court over a similar ban in the Riviera town of Villeneuve-Loubet that set a legal precedent.

After the Council of State overturned that ban last week, human rights groups said they would challenge similar bans issued in around 30 municipalities.

The bans grew increasingly controversial as images circulated online of Muslim women being ordered to remove burkinis and headscarves by armed police.

Mayors have backed multiple reasons for the introduction of the ban, including security after a string of Islamic extremist attacks, risk to public order, and France's strict rules on secularism in public life.

The Council of State ruled: "The emotion and concerns arising from the terrorist attacks, notably the one perpetrated in Nice on July 14, cannot suffice to justify in law the contested prohibition measure."

Earlier today, the UN human rights office condemned local bans in France on burkini swimwear as "a grave and illegal breach of fundamental freedoms" and a "stupid reaction" to recent extremist attacks.

Rupert Colville, spokesman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on local officials to immediately lift the bans, saying they do not increase security.

Mr Colville said the bans "fuel religious intolerance and the stigmatisation of Muslims", and "have only succeeded in increasing tensions".

He said people who wear burkinis or any other clothing "cannot be blamed for the violent or hostile reactions of others".

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in