Accused must remove veil
A Muslim woman will be allowed to stand trial wearing a full-face veil but must remove it while giving evidence, Judge Peter Murphy has ruled at Blackfriars Crown Court in London.
Judge: Woman cannot give evidence if she keeps veil
A judge said that if a Muslim woman refuses to take off her veil in court to give evidence she should not be allowed to testify.
The woman must also remove her niqab in front of a female police officer or other witnesses for identification purposes.
Judge Peter Murphy said the woman must be given time to reflect when asked to take off her veil and added: "If she refuses the judge should not allow her to give evidence and must give the jury a clear direction."
He also said: "No tradition or practice, whether religious or otherwise, can claim to occupy such a privileged position that the rule of law, open justice and the adversarial trial process are sacrificed to accommodate it.
"That is not a discrimination against religion, it is a matter of upholding the rule of law in a democratic society."
More top news
-
Joe Biden vows to fight racial inequality with economic agenda
The Democratic presidential candidate may also have shown his cards on his choice of running mate.
-
Trump reverts to promoting unproven drug as coronavirus treatment
The US president also shared a post on Twitter accusing Dr Anthony Fauci of misleading the public over hydroxychloroquine.
-
What the papers say – July 29
Fears over an impending second wave of coronavirus dominates Wednesday’s front pages.