Top court in France tosses 'burkini' ban
France’s highest administrative court has overturned a ban on the full-body bathing suit known as a burkini.
The Council of State ruled the ban in the resort town of Villeneuve-Loubet violated “fundamental freedoms,” report the New York Times, the Associated Press the Telegraph and the Washington Post.
According to AP, the ruling on Friday “should set legal precedent regarding a swimsuit crackdown that has divided the country and provoked shock around the world.’ About 30 other towns in France have similar laws.
The bans don’t explicitly mention burkinis, but they target bathing attire that isn’t “appropriate” and doesn’t respect secularism and security rules, the New York Times explains.
The Council of State ruling said the ban was not justified by “proven risks of disruptions to public order nor, moreover, on reasons of hygiene or decency.”
