French Justice Minister Rachida Dati gave birth to a baby girl on Friday, French media reported.

Dati, 43, announced her pregnancy in September but refused to make public the identity of the child's father.

The baby, named Zohra, was born 15 days before the scheduled date.

Born in Morocco and never married, the minister admitted she had a "complicated" private life.

Dati was appointed to the cabinet by President Nicolas Sarkozy in May 2007, but has been branded incompetent by many within the judicial system.

Her pregnancy, due to the unknown identity of the child's father, has often appeared on glossy magazines, giving the impression she is frivolous, and critics has accused her of being more interested in being a celebrity than in doing her job.

(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2009)