The Belgian Interfederal Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism and Discrimination (UNIA) has submitted a new communication to the Committee of Ministers in the Lachiri case.
This case concerns the applicant's exclusion from the courtroom of a tribunal for refusing to remove her Islamic headscarf (hijab), on the basis of Article 759 of the Judicial Code. The European Court considered in September 2018 that this interference with her freedom to manifest her religion was not justified (violation of Article 9).
This new communication follows new similar incidents that have occurred since the Lachiri judgment and was published together with the authorities' response dated 1 April 2020. The authorities replied that the administration is now in charge of preparing an amendment to the Judicial Code, as requested by UNIA since 2015, that it will be up to the next Government to decide to table in Parliament.
