A mother and her two daughters have filed an application before Austria's Constitutional Court to challenge a school headscarf ban for girls under 14 years of age, a court spokesperson confirmed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) on Monday.

The application was lodged on the first day that the new regulation took effect at the start of the school year.

The Austrian news agency, APA, had previously reported on the legal challenge.

The ban applies to a "headscarf that covers the head according to Islamic traditions." In cases where the ban is ignored, school administrators must initially hold a meeting with the girl concerned and her parents.

If the child continues to wear a headscarf, the parents must meet with the responsible school authority. As a last resort, fines of between 150 euros ($175) and 800 euros can be imposed.

The regulation was passed by the governing coalition of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and the liberal Neos.

The Constitutional Court struck down a similar measure introduced in 2019 that applied only to primary schools.

At the time, the judges criticized, among other things, the fact that the law specifically targeted Muslim girls and did not apply to all religious head coverings.

The Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) has criticized the ban and said it would advise and support the families affected.

The IGGÖ is preparing its own legal action against the law.