Five days after giving birth to a baby girl, Rachida Dati, the French Justice Minister, returned to work after checking out of a Paris maternity clinic in the morning. Her first child, Zohra, was delivered by Caesarian section. Ms Dati arrived for a Cabinet meeting at the Élysée Palace smiling, dressed in a black suit and high heels. Under French law, she would have been entitled to 16 weeks’ maternity leave. President Sarkozy paid tribute to the Ms Dati, according to government spokesman Luc Chatel. “Rachida has said that to be a mother was the greatest of happinesses, but she had important duties she would continue to fulfil,” Mr Chatel said.