Among the measures proposed in the law banning the full veil, which is to be presented to the Council of Ministers by the Justice Minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie [Libération profile, in French], on Wednesday, is the promotion of civic awareness among women caught wearing the full veil, according to AFP. The first of the text’s seven articles states that none may be allowed to wear clothing hiding the face in a public place, and specifies that the ban applies to the public highway, any place open to the public, and places in use by a public service. There are several exceptions to this general prohibition, namely when the outfit covering the face is imposed by law, such as a motorcyclist’s helmet ; when it is authorized in order to preserve the wearer’s anonymity, which is the case of the police force ; and when it is justified by medical or festive reasons, like for instance during carnival.

The third article lays out the sanctions of an infringement of the ban : the full veil wearer faces a fine of 150 Euros. In addition to this fine, or as an alternative to it, one may be required to follow an intensive course on citizenship. The text also aims to deter men from pressuring their wives or partners to wear the full veil, since they face up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 Euros for incitement to dissimulate one’s face. A six month delay is planned for between the promulgation of the law and its entry into force in order to sensibilize the concerned population to its implications. Strong opposition to the ban [Agenda report] may dash the government’s hopes that the law will be effective from spring of 2011 onwards.