A French court suspended a ban on women wearing full-body “burkini” swimsuits on a Mediterranean town’s beach.
The Council of State’s in its ruling said Villeneuve-Loubet’s ban had “seriously infringed, in a manner that was clearly illegal, fundamental liberties such as the freedom to come and go, religious freedom and individual freedom”.
The burkinis did not pose any threat to public order, said the council, which is France’s highest administrative court.
The ban had been imposed on the grounds that wearing burkinis contravened French laws on secularism.
Many conservatives and right-wing French supported the burkini ban, with some calling for it to be extended nationwide, while civil liberties campaigners, feminists and Muslims opposed it.