The Spanish Supreme Court has overturned a ban on wearing Islamic veils in council buildings instituted by city authorities in Catalonia, ruling that it "limits religious freedom". The town of Lleida approved a municipal ban on burkas and niqabs in 2010, becoming the first town in Spain to impose such a ban. It was temporarily suspended by a regional court following an appeal by a Muslim association but then later upheld. But the Supreme Court accepted a second appeal and ruled that town councils have no authority to order such a prohibition, which must be based on constitutional law.
The Lleida ban was considered largely symbolic as only a small percentage of the town's 120,000 population are Muslims and few are seen in the streets wearing the veil.
Around a dozen municipalities in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia – the region with the largest population of Muslim immigrants – introduced similar bans.
Under the ban, which prohibited such garments from being worn in municipal buildings including council offices, civic centers and public sports centers, offenders faced fines of up to 600 euros.
The Supreme Court ruling explained that the decision does not answer whether the government can in future pass a national law – as in France and Belgium – outlawing Islamic veils.