Study of possible legal grounds for banning the full veil Report adopted by the Plenary General Assembly of the Conseil d’Etat Thursday 25 March 2010 Conseil d’Etat Reports and Studies Section Page | 2 Study of possible legal grounds for banning the full veil Page | 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................3 GLOSSARY .....................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................7 I- IN ITS PRESENT STATE THE LAW CONSISTS OF A BROAD RANGE OF PRESCRIPTIONS OR PROHIBITIONS, JUST AS IT DOES IN COMPARABLE DEMOCRACIES, WHERE THERE IS NO SPECIFIC NATIONAL LEGISLATION. .....................10 1. NUMEROUS LAWS, REGULATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS ALREADY EXIST TO PROHIBIT OR DETER PEOPLE FROM WEARING THE FULL VEIL OR INDEED FROM CONCEALING THE FACE IN PARTICULAR CASES ...........10 1.1. THE WEARING OF THE FULL VEIL AS SUCH IS ALREADY PROHIBITED OR PROVIDED FOR UNDER CERTAIN PROVISIONS. ......................................................................................10 1.2. MANY CLAUSES PROVIDE FOR A MORE GENERAL BAN ON THE DELIBERATE CONCEALMENT OF THE FACE IN SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES OR PLACES. ........................11 1.3. FORCING OR ...