After initially wholeheartedly supporting a Conservative Party proposal to ban the burka by law, the Social Democratic Party has changed its mind, saying such a ban may be unconstitutional.

Instead, the party is suggesting that forcing people to wear religious clothing should be made a criminal offence.

"We still think that burkas are an abuse of women and we really think the idea of a ban was a good one. But all the experts we have spoken to say that such a ban would probably be unconstitutional, and that is something we must accept," Social Democratic Spokesman Henrik Sass Larsen tells Information, adding his party had thought the Conservative Party would have checked the constitutionality of a burka ban before making the proposal.

As a result, the Social Democratic Party plans to vote against the proposal when the Danish People's Party puts it to Parliament in the autumn.

Enforcement
"I understand the Danish People's Party's intentions, and I am sympathetic. But we can never vote for something that is unconstitutional. That wouldn't make sense," Sass Larsen is reported as saying.

Instead he proposes changes to criminal law that would make it a crime to force others to wear religious clothing.

"That would be a way of following through on the principle of preventing the abuse of women and others, but without coming into conflict with the Constitution," Sass Larsen says.

All types
He adds that the Social Democratic proposal is targeted at all types of religious clothing and is designed to give women, children and young people the right to refuse to wear such clothing if they so wish.