No burqa at court

Policy Response DateAugust 27, 2008 Country: Austria Address: Vienna General Type: Discrimination, Institutional discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Islamophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Muslims Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement, Political discourse -parties - orgs

In its decision on a complaint of a young Muslim woman, who had been excluded from the court proceedings both as respondent (she and her husband had been convicted of crimes of terrorist aggression in March 2008) and witness, when insisting on wearing a burqa, the Austrian Supreme Court stated that her exclusion had been legitimate. The court argues that wearing the burqa did not comply with Austrian court standards and that special provisions like exclusion of the public had been offered to guarantee that religious obligations could have been met, when the burqa would have been lifted for the time of the court statement and insofar her rights had not been infringed.

Source: OGH 13Os83/08t-10
http://www.ris2.bka.gv.at/Dokument.wxe?QueryID=Justiz&Dokumentnummer=JJT_20080827_OGH0002_0130OS00083_08T0000_000&WxeFunctionToken=3e32e5fa-aa8c-4b9e-b51f-3ca6e347518c (25.03.2011)