French Govt Issues Circular to Ban Turban for Driver’s License Photograph

High Court Ruled on Monday it was illegal to require a Sikh to remove his turban for a driver’s license photograph

Paris, France—The French Government issued a circular yesterday effectively overturning a High Court decision on Monday that said it was illegal to prevent a Sikh from wearing a turban for his driving license photograph.

The French Ministry of Transports, Equipments, Tourism and Seas have issued a circular through which they have now banned the wearing of turbans on driving license photographs. Consequently, Shingara Singh will not be issued a driver’s license unless he removes his turban, despite a High Court ruling on Monday.

The High Court had ruled that it was illegal for French Administration to require Shingara Singh to bear his head for his driver’s license photograph, because there was no such legal requirement. The Court had ordered that Singh be issued his driver’s license by the administration within 30 days, without requiring him to remove his turban for his driver’s license photograph. The Ministry of Transport reacted to this High Court ruling by issuing a circular requiring applicants to bare their head for their driver’s license photographs. Click here to read the complaint in French and a translation in English

“The global Sikh community is shocked at the attitude of the French government. First it acted illegally by preventing a Sikh from wearing a turban for the driver’s license photo, and when the High Court pointed out this illegality on Monday, the government passed a new rule the next day banning the turban on driver’s licenses” said Mejindarpal Kaur, Director of UNITED SIKHS.

Kudrat Singh and Shingara Singh, both Directors of UNITED SIKHS France, and Gurdial Singh of the French Action Committee for the Turban, are meeting Singh’s lawyers, P Spinosi, the High Court Counsel and his co-Counsel F Jacquot, this evening to decide on the way forward.

Issued by:
Meerat Kaur
Director, International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy
UNITED SIKHS
Tel: 0870 199 3328