The ECHR’s upholding of the French face-veil ban sets a very worrying precedent for the freedom of religious expression

The former President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, instituted a ban on covering one’s face in a public area. It was interpreted as targeting the Muslim community, and since its implementation has had the biggest impact there. The case was challenged, and eventually upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. Daniel Barton argues that the ease with which the French Government got around the relevant human rights limitations should worry us all.