New Report – Sharia Law in Britain – A Threat to One Law for All and Equal Rights
Hat-tip The Spitoon
A new report by One Law for All has found Sharia Councils and Muslim Arbitration Tribunals to be in violation of UK law, public policy and human rights (see report here).
The report is being launched to coincide with a 20 June 2010 rally on the issue of Sharia law.
Based on an 8 March 2010 Seminar on Sharia Law, research, interviews, and One Law for All case files, the report has identified a number of problem areas:
- Sharia law’s civil code is arbitrary and discriminatory against women and children in particular. With the rise in the acceptance of Sharia courts, discrimination is being further institutionalised with some UK law firms additionally offering clients advice on Sharia law and the use of collaborative law.
- Sharia law is practiced in Britain primarily by Sharia Councils and Muslims Arbitration Tribunals. Both operate on religious principles and are harmful to women although Muslim Arbitration Tribunals are wrongly regarded as being of more concern because they operate as tribunals under the Arbitration Act 1996, making their rulings binding in law.
- Sharia Councils, on the other hand, claim to mediate on family issues but in practice often this differs little from arbitration: they frequently ask those appearing before them to sign an agreement to abide by their decisions; they call themselves courts, and the presiding imams, judges. Their decisions are then imposed and regarded as having the weight of legal judgements.
- There is neither control over the appointment of “judges” in Sharia Councils or Tribunals nor an independent mechanism for monitoring them. Clients often do not have access to legal advice and representation. The proceedings are not recorded, nor are there any searchable legal judgements, nor any real right of appeal.
- Sharia law cannot be compared to secular legal systems because it is considered sacred law that cannot be challenged. There is no scope to look at the interests of the individuals involved, as required by UK family law.
- These legal processes ignore both common law and due process, far less Human Rights, and provide little protection and safety for women in violent situations.
- There is a general assumption that those who attend Sharia courts do so voluntarily and that unfair decisions can be challenged in a British court. Many of the principles of Sharia law are contrary to British law and public policy, and would in theory therefore be unlikely to be upheld in a British court. In reality, however, women are often pressured by their families into going to these courts and adhering to unfair decisions, and may lack knowledge of English and their rights under British law. Moreover, refusal to settle a dispute in a Sharia court can give rise to threats and intimidation, or at best being ostracised.
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The full report can be downloaded here.
June 18th, 2010 at 11:56 am
Publicly hanging women from the jibs of construction cranes, throwing homosexuals from multi-storey buildings this is what we now class as law and justice in the U.K.
This is sharia law and the evils of islam wake-up!
June 18th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
@Goy, well you know as well as I do that these “courts” are on the rise, behind the scenes…
June 18th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
The last figure I read was approximately 80, there is also the question of sharia law in UK finance law what is being witnessed is the islamisation of the UK and the west by stealth. Even major supermarkets and fast food chains are selling islamic halal food.
They play with fire.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
I have posted quite a lot in the past on the ascendency of Sharia courts in the UK:
Sharia Courts
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
This Sharia law should be and HAS to be discouraged at all costs!!! before its too late! The system is totally unacceptable. It has no compassion nor consideration for others
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Goy. The punishments you highlight would be unlawful in the UK and the perpetrators tried in a criminal court, and if found guilty, subject to the same sentencing as anybody else committing those crimes.
As far as I’m aware, Sharia Courts have never gone this far in the UK.
I would agree however that in principle they are wrong, and I would be delighted to see them outlawed. In the meantime, waht we can do is to support those who are subjected to this arbitrary justice against their will.
July 6th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
@Jim,
Sharia law “courts” are already dealing with crime on the streets of London, it has emerged.
Why do you have the need to prevaricate and apologise for islam?