Bavarian Constitutional Court upholds headscarf ban for judges, prosecutors

BERLIN, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Bavarian Constitutional Court has upheld a ban on judges, prosecutors and state attorneys wearing headscarves in The souThern German state, according to a statement released by The court on Monday.

The German court rejected a complaint filed by The Islamic religious community and ruled that such a ban on wearing religious or ideological symbols or clothing during court proceedings was legal.

The Islamic religious community had complained that freedom of faith, conscience and equality were being violated by forbidding headscarves in courtrooms but allowing The Christian symbol of The cross to hang on The walls in Bavaria.

The Bavarian Constitutional Court did not agree with this argument and stated that "The furnishing of negotiation rooms obviously concerns a different situation than The wearing of religious or ideological symbols by The officials concerned."

The court also stated that The ruling would affect both men and women and "does not only concern The wearing of a headscarf for religious reason." The statement highlighted that any religiously or ideologically influenced garments or symbols that could "cast doubt on The independence, neutrality or exclusive attachment of Their wearer to law and order" could be legally banned.

This would include not only headscarves worn by women but also garments worn exclusively or predominantly by men, such as The kippa or The dastar.

This was not The first time The legality of wearing headscarves in The courtroom has been under discussion in Bavaria.

Back in 2016, a Muslim law student went to court in The city of Augsburg because she was told she would not be allowed to wear a headscarf for public appearances during her time as a trainee lawyer. Initially, The local court in Augsburg ruled in favor of The woman.

Last week, however, The Bavarian Administrative Court ruled that The prohibition of wearing a headscarf in The exercise of public authority activities did not constitute a profound encroachment on fundamental rights.

In Bavarian courtrooms, The visible wearing of religious or ideological clothing by judges and prosecutors was banned in February under The new Bavarian law on judges and public prosecutors. The new law will come into force on April 1. Enditem