French veil ban law has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights. A French woman of 24 years was involved in case, as she argued that banning the wearing of the niqab, or Muslim full-face veil, violated her freedom of expression and religion.

According to the French veil ban law, nobody is allowed to publicly wear any type of clothing that conceals the facial area. The penalty for violating this law is a whopping fine of 150 Euros, which is roughly around £120 or $205. This law was approved by former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.

In addition to the fine, breaching the French veil ban law will also put the violator under citizenship instruction.

There are about five million Muslims in France. In fact, France has the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe. Despite this huge population, only 2,000 women reportedly wear full veils that cover the entire face.

According to the court ruling, the ban "was not expressly based on the religious connotation of the clothing in question, but solely on the fact that it concealed the face." The decision of the judges of Strasbourg is believed to be final and that there is no appeal against it.

The court has stated that the ruling "took into account the state's submission that the face played a significant role in social interaction. The court was also able to understand the view that individuals might not wish to see, in places open to all, practices or attitudes which would fundamentally call into question the possibility of open interpersonal relationships, which, by virtue of an established consensus, formed an indispensable element of community life within the society in question."

However, other gear that tends to cover the facial area, such as motorbike helmets, have been exempted from the French veil ban law.