'Mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis'

France's highest court has suspended the ban in Villeneuve-Loubet, but is likely to set precedent for other places

Paris: France's highest administrative court yesterday suspended a ban on the Islamic burkini brought by a French Riviera town after it was challenged by rights groups.

People march in Port-Leucate to protest the municipal ban forbidding  burkinis. Pic/AFP

In a judgment expected to set a precedent, the State Council ruled that mayors do not have the right to ban burkinis and local authorities could only restrict individual liberties if there was a “proven risk” to public order.

The case before the court concerned the French Riviera resort of Villeneuve-Loubet, one of around 30 towns that have passed burkini bans.

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) hailed the ruling as “a victory for common sense”. Police have fined Muslim women for wearing burkinis on beaches in towns including in the renowned Riviera resorts of Nice and Cannes.

On Wednesday, the row over burkinis intensified after a woman in a headscarf was photographed on a beach in Nice being forced to remove a long-sleeved top while surrounded by armed police.

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