The French burka ban is fine by me, and not just because it alliterates in English

First, I'm looking at the text. I've translated the text of the law and commented as thoughts and reactions came to mind. Text in italics set off from the left margin, translation in bold text set off from the left margin, and thoughts in plain text at the left margin.

Article 1er

Nul ne peut, dans l'espace public, porter une tenue destinée à dissimuler son visage.

Article 1

No one may, in a public space, wear attire with the aim of concealing the face.

I don't know anything about French constitutional or criminal law, so I don't know if the wording here legally implies "knowingly" or "purposefully." The sense in plain French is one of purpose. In any event, it doesn't say "recklessly" or "negligently." If this were an American statute, I'd say it's pretty clear (and advise the drafters to use one of the magic words).

So while I don't know how French law deals with levels of culpability, it seems to me that it's a crime of some kind, not a summary offense or violation. Were you wearing a hat over your face while taking a nap in the park? Then you're in good shape: your aim was to avoid sunburn, not conceal your face from others. Were you wearing a bandanna over your nose and mouth during a good, old-fashioned cobblestone-throwin' protest? Unless you can convince the magistrate that your sole purpose was to avoid tear gas exposure, you're probably out of luck.

Article 2

I. – Pour l'application de l'article 1er, l'espace public est constitué des voies publiques ainsi que des lieux ouverts au public ou affectés à un service public.

II. – L'interdiction prévue à l'article 1er ne s'applique pas si la tenue est prescrite ou autorisée par des dispositions législatives ou réglementaires, si elle est justifiée par des raisons de santé ou des motifs professionnels, ou si elle s'inscrit dans le cadre de pratiques sportives, de fêtes ou de manifestations artistiques ou traditionnelles.

Article 2

I. - For the purposes of Article 1, "public space" is defined as public ways as well as places open to the public or affected by a public service.

II. - The prohibition described in Article 1 does not apply if the attire is required or authorized by law or regulation, if the attire is justified for health reasons or professional grounds, or if the attire is an included part of sports equipment, of festivals or or artistic or traditional demonstrations.

You know how, in American law, you have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" when you go outdoors? It's the same deal with the burka ban: you leave your house, you uncover your face. But the law gives a lot of reasonable exceptions. If you have the flu, or you're in a surgical theater, or you're welding, or you're ump'ing fastballs, or you're in a performance, or you have some other legal exemption, then you're good to go.

Article 3

La méconnaissance de l'interdiction édictée à l'article 1er est punie de l'amende prévue pour les contraventions de la deuxième classe.

L'obligation d'accomplir le stage de citoyenneté mentionné au 8° de l'article 131-16 du code pénal peut être prononcée en même temps ou à la place de la peine d'amende.

Article 3

Violation of the prohibition prescribed in Article 1 is punishable with the scheduled fine of a second-degree contravention.

The obligation to complete the citizenship course, mentioned at 8° of article 131-16 of the penal code may be imposed, either on its own or in addition to the fine.

OK, so méconnaissance translates literally to ignorance in English, but it means ignorance in the sense of an active, willful refusal to be mindful of -- or, basically, to mind -- the law. There's no American legal equivalent of "failure to mind the prohibition," so I used "violation," because you don't use "defiance" in American statutory drafting.

I suspect that contravention is a specific legal term of art; various translating dictionaries suggest infraction, infringement, violation, transgression, which aren't specific. Since the French and American legal systems don't match up concept-for-concept, I'll just say that the fine (maximum €150.00) and the requirement that you read the French constitution ("La France est une République indivisible, laïque, démocratique et sociale") makes this contravention something along the lines of a pretty minor misdemeanor.

I would compare it to a summary offense, except for that "with the aim of" language at the top there. In American legal terms, there is an element of intent in the definition of the crime. So it's not like a ticket for driving with expired tabs, where it doesn't matter whether you meant to do it or not, and the only thing to fight in court is whether your tabs were truly expired. It's more like proving a disorderly conduct versus a riot charge (see, e.g., Delaware Criminal Code).

Article 4

I. - De la dissimulation forcée du visage

Le fait pour toute personne d'imposer à une ou plusieurs autres personnes de dissimuler leur visage par menace, violence, contrainte, abus d'autorité ou abus de pouvoir, en raison de leur sexe, est puni d'un an d'emprisonnement et de 30 000 € d'amende.

Lorsque le fait est commis au préjudice d'un mineur, les peines sont portées à deux ans d'emprisonnement et à 60 000 € d'amende.

Article 4

Regarding the forced concealing of the face

The act of any person to impose upon one or more other people to conceal their face by threat, violence, coercion, abuse of authority or of power, for reason of their sex, is punishable by one year of imprisonment and a fine of €30,000.00.

If the act is committed on a minor, the punishments are increased to two years of imprisonment and a fine of €60,000.00.

Holy crap! The law just jumped from a super low-level misdemeanor to a felony, with a fine the size of a year's tuition in law school!

Article 5

Les articles 1er à 3 entrent en vigueur à l'expiration d'un délai de six mois à compter de la promulgation de la présente loi.

Article 5

Articles 1 through 3 will come into force after the expiration of six months after the date of promulgation of this law.

Article 6

La présente loi s'applique sur l'ensemble du territoire de la République.

Article 6

This law is applicable across the entire territory of the Republic.

Meaning not just France, but also the overseas territories. Keep that mind when you tour Saint Pierre et Miquelon! But that's OK; you get six months to get used to the idea first.

Article 7

Le Gouvernement remet au Parlement un rapport sur l'application de la présente loi dix-huit mois après sa promulgation. Ce rapport dresse un bilan de la mise en œuvre de la présente loi, des mesures d'accompagnement élaborées par les pouvoirs publics et des difficultés rencontrées.

Délibéré en séance publique, à Paris, le 14 septembre 2010.

Article 7

The Government will remit to Parliament a report on the application of this law eighteen months after its promulgation. This report will include an accounting of the costs of enforcing this law, the accompanying implementation measures, and the difficulties encountered.

Deliberated in public session in Paris, 14 September 2010.

I like the accountability here.

Next, I should further discuss why I'm 100% on board with this law for policy reasons, but this post has gotten too long to include the discussion here.