Publication

This policy brief examines whether the French ban on state school pupils wearing obvious religious symbols can successfully survive legal challenges in French and European courts. The author argues that a formidable legal challenge to the ban can be expected in light of two anti-discrimination directives enacted by the European Community in 2000 as well as relevant national and European case law. Furthermore, the author explains that even the weaker protection offered by the European Convention of Human Rights is likely to be an additional obstacle to a successful French defense of the law in question.