Austria’s Constitutional Court is expected to rule in the first half of 2027 on a newly introduced ban on Muslim headscarves for girls under the age of 14 in schools.
The ban, which came into effect on September 1, has already been challenged by female pupils aged between 9 and 12 and their parents. They argue that the law violates freedom of religion and the principle of equality before the law.
The legislation was proposed by Austria’s governing coalition of three centrist parties and passed by parliament’s lower house in December 2025 with support from the far-right Freedom Party. The opposition Greens were the only parliamentary party that did not support the measure.
Austria previously introduced a similar ban for girls under 10, but the Constitutional Court struck it down in 2020, ruling that it discriminated against Muslims and that the state must remain religiously neutral.
Under the current law, schools must first hold discussions with pupils who refuse to comply with the ban. Continued violations can eventually result in fines ranging from €150 to €800.
Rights organisations, left-wing groups and Austria’s official Muslim representative body have opposed the legislation.
Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr said around 80 cases of pupils failing to comply with the ban had been reported nationwide since it took effect.
The Constitutional Court said its ruling on the new headscarf ban is expected in the first half of 2027.
Tags
World News