{UAH} Burkini Ban Upheld By Corsica Court

 

•  

France

Burkini ban issued on French island of Corsica upheld by court

Judge said Tuesday that the ban issued by the mayor in the resort village of Sisco was legal because public order had been disrupted in the region

A woman wearing a burkini takes a dip in south of France in 15 August 2016. Photograph: ABACA Press France

Guardian staff and agencies

Tuesday 6 September 2016 19.27 BST Last modified on Wednesday 7 September 2016 09.47 BST

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Google+
• Share on WhatsApp
• Share on Messenger

Save for later Article saved

A court in the French Mediterranean island of Corsica has upheld a burkini ban issued by a local mayor, despite a higher court ruling outlawing such bans on the full-body swimwear worn by some Muslim women.

A judge in the Bastia court said Tuesday that the ban issued by the mayor in the Corsican resort village of Sisco was legal because public order had been disrupted in the region.

"The presence on a beach in Sisco of a woman wearing a swimming costume of the type targeted (by the ban) ... could cause risks to public order which it is the town hall's duty to prevent," the court in Bastia said, dismissing a challenge from the Human Rights League.

Sisco's mayor, Ange-Pierre Vivoni, said the ruling was "a relief for me and local people".

Last month, clashes broke out in Sisco after unconfirmed witness accounts said a Muslim woman was wearing a full-body outfit on a local beach. Several people were wounded during the altercations and tensions spread to Bastia.

There has been no confirmation from police or the local prosecutor's office as to whether anyone on the beach was wearing a burkini at the time of the incident.

Last month France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled that such bans may violate basic freedoms. The court suspended bans brought in by around 30 towns, ruling that the measure was permitted only if wearing the burkini was likely to cause a public disturbance.

Nice, Cannes and several other towns on the Mediterranean coast have lifted bans following the Council of State's ruling.

Tuesday's ruling can be appealed to the top court.

Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com