The Constitutional Court rejected several provisions of the Protected Schools Project promoted by the José Antonio Kast government. The norm prohibiting clothing that prevents facial identification survived scrutiny, except for the religious exception.
The TC plenary analyzed on Tuesday the requests from opposition parliamentarians and declared four norms of the project, which contained eight articles in total, unconstitutional. Among the affected provisions are the ineligibility to access free higher education due to prior convictions and some rules on backpack searches without prosecutorial intervention.
The measure requiring schools to prohibit in their regulations the use of clothing or accessories that prevent facial identification remained intact. The Court only removed the justification for religious reasons.
The government opted for caution while awaiting the full ruling. Official sources highlight that the general backpack review mechanism and the prohibition on hoods survived, although they privately criticize the SEGPRES Legal Division.
