France's justice minister said yesterday that he personally had decided to replace a woman juror who wore her Islamic headscarf in court, saying he wanted to ensure a fair trial.
The replacement on Monday of the Muslim juror marked the first time that France's debate on whether women can wear the headscarves in public buildings had extended to the courtroom.
The justice minister, Dominique Perben, said on Europe-1 radio: "When in a court, someone outwardly shows a religious, philosophical or political conviction, that can be a sign that his decision as a juror will be influenced."
He added: "It is I who asked for the replacement."
The move comes amid a debate over the use of Islamic headscarves in France. Several girls have been expelled from state schools this year for wearing the scarves, which many argue are a violation of France's strict separation of church and state.
The government is considering a law which would explicitly ban religious symbols in schools and other buildings. A panel on the issue is to report its findings by the end of the year.
The woman, not identified by officials, was to have been a juror in a trial in Bobigny, outside Paris, for the attempted murder of two police officers.
It was uncertain whether the woman's motivations were wholly religious. Her husband suggested in a newspaper interview that his wife donned her headscarf to avoid jury duty. She wore her scarf around her shoulders when being sworn in, Le Parisien said, but put it on her head when court resumed after a suspension.