Constitutional Court of Austria.

Austria enforces school headscarf ban for under-14s as legal fight looms

Austria has implemented a nationwide ban on headscarves for schoolgirls under 14, applying to public and private schools and enforcing compliance through dialogues with students and guardians, with penalties up to €800 for repeated violations. The policy has sparked legal challenges from the Islamic Religious Community in Austria and wide opposition, including protests and concerns about religious freedom, as the Constitutional Court’s past ruling on a similar measure informs potential challenges as schools reopen.