A ban on ‘burkinis’ in a French coastal town has been suspended by France’s highest court.
It said the ban on full-body swimsuits imposed in the town of Villeneuve-Loubet, close to Nice, ‘seriously and clearly illegally breached fundamental freedoms to come and go, freedom of beliefs and individual freedom’.
The ruling is likely to set a precedent for up to 30 other French towns where a ban has been imposed.
Town mayors said the bans would protect public order and French laws on secularism, but campaign groups say they infringe human rights and unfairly target Muslims.
The bans came after the Bastille Day attack in Nice and the murder of a priest in Normandy.
The court said a final decision on the legality of the controversial bans will be made at a later date.
It means those who have already been fined could demand a refund.
