Wearing the burqa may be banned as the government considers clarifying an existing law that prevents people from covering their faces in public.

It was Equality Minister Helena Dalli who this morning hinted at the change during a political meeting at the Birżebbuġa Labour Party club.

Without elaborating, she said the existing law made it clear that people could not wear a mask or change their appearance in a public place.

“My right to dress as I please stops when it impinges on another person’s right to enjoy security,” Dr Dalli said, adding the government was considering changing the law to make it “clearer”.

She said it was a Cabinet decision taken under the previous administration that issued directives to the police not to stop people wearing a burqa in public.

Dr Dalli said she could not understand Opposition shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi’s rant on Facebook, calling for the burqa to be banned.

“Jason Azzopardi sat on the Cabinet that had issued the directive to the police not to take action against people who wore the burqa,” she said.

The burqa is a dress that provides full face covering and is worn by some female Muslim adherents. On the other hand, the niqab just leaves the eyes uncovered while the chador is worn tight around the head but leaves the face fully exposed.

The niqab is often erroneously referred to as a burqa.

In Parliament last week Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela told PN MP Clyde Puli the police did not take action against persons wearing the full face veil for religious reasons because this did not contravene the country’s laws.

He said the police acted against anyone wearing a mask or anything aimed at changing his appearance in breach of the criminal code.

However, the police could order the removal of the veil if they had a reasonable suspicion that the person was about to commit a crime.