Hijab sentenced hairdresser appeals to Supreme Court
Hairdresser Merete Hodne is appealing the sentence she received for refusing hijab-clad Malika Bayan lounge access.
Now the Supreme Court Appeals Committee will decide if the country’s highest court must hear the case, said NRK news.
The reason is that Malika Bayan in autumn 2015 wearing hijab went into a barbershop owned by Merete Hodne Bryne and asked what it would cost to dye your hair. Bayan was allegedly told that Hodne “would not take on people like her.”
Hodne denied having said this, but was fined 8,000 kroner for violations of anti-discrimination legislation. Thus ended the matter in court where Hodne was convicted in both courts.
The District Court ordered Hodne to pay 10,000 kroner plus court costs of 5,000 kroner. She appealed to the Court of Appeal, where the fine was reduced by 3,000 kroner and she would not have to pay the opponent’s legal costs.
The Court of Appeal reduced the size of the fine because the appellate court “can not be entirely ruled out that the victim visited the salon to see how the defendant would react.”
Hodne acknowledged no guilt at either the District Court or the Court of Appeal.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
