Burqa ban passes final legal hurdle

FRANCE'S burqa ban has passed its final legislative hurdle and will come into effect next year.

The Conseil Constitutionnel, which examines whether new laws are constitutional, has approved the ban.

It made one amendment to the text: the ban cannot apply in places of worship. This would have contravened Article 10 of the constitution, on religious expression.

The presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate asked the constitutional judges to examine the law in September to eliminate "any uncertainty" in the wording.

The ban will come into force next spring. Between now and then, a six-month campaign will be carried out to raise awareness.

Under the new law, wearing a burqa or niqab in a public place will result in a €150 fine. Repeat offenders will be required to take a citizenship course.

Anyone forcing a woman to dress this way will face a year in prison and a €30,000 fine.