Court overturns ban on ‘burkini’

PARIS — France’s highest administrative court on Friday overturned a town’s ban on burkinis, the fullbody swimwear used by some Muslim women, setting a precedent that challenges similar bans in at least 30 other municipalities, most of them on the French Riveria.

The burkini — and the decisions to ban wearing them on beaches — has become the focus of spirited global debates over women’s rights, assimilation and secularism.

In its ruling, the court, known as the Council of State, found that the ban in the town of Villeneuve-Loubet violated civil liberties, including freedom of movement and religious freedom, and that officials had failed to demonstrate that the swimwear posed a threat to public order.

The ordinances in question did not mention Islam or the burkinis explicitly — they instead banned bathing attire that was not “appropriate,” was not “respectful of good morals and of secularism,” or did not respect “hygiene and security rules” — but the target of the laws was obvious.

Although the ruling has only technically suspended the ban, a future hearing will be set to strike it down completely. While the decision does not apply directly to the many other French cities and towns that have banned the burkini, it amounts to a warning that their prohibitions are likely to be overturned if challenged.