Court quashes fine for burqa driver

A POLICE court has quashed the fine imposed on a woman for driving while wearing the burqa – while an employment tribunal has ruled a crèche-worker was fairly sacked for wearing a veil.

The Nantes move to overturn the €22 driving procès-verbal left Sandrine Moulères in tears of joy. The magistrate ruled that the burqa - which shows only the eyes - did not impair Ms Moulères' vision as it "moved with her head".

Her lawyer, Jean-Michel Pollono, greeted the verdict, saying: "Everything that isn't forbidden is allowed."

The verdict comes just months before the nationwide ban on wearing the burqa in public places comes into force in April. Flouting the ban could lead to a €150 fine.

Mr Pollono said he thought the new law could not apply inside a car as it was a "private place" – but asked if police would want women to lift the veil as soon as they stepped out of the car.

In Yvelines, a tribunal upheld the sacking of a worker at a crèche at Chanteloup-les-Vignes as the owners had banned staff from wearing religious items to preserve "neutrality". The woman was sacked for "repeated insubordination".

After Ms Mouleres' case became public knowledge her husband, Lies Hebbadj, was accused of four counts of benefits fraud and breaking employment law.

Interior minister Brice Hortefeux had accused him of polygamy as he has four companions and threatened to strip him of his French passport.

Photo: Kevin Browne - Fotolia.com