UK Lawyers Must Be Allowed To Wear Veils

From a joyous BBC:

Lawyers ‘can wear veils in court’

Friday, 10 November 2006

Legal advisers and solicitors may wear the Islamic veil in court unless it interferes with the "interests of justice", judges have been told.

The judiciary were told to use their discretion to interpret the temporary guidance, which covers all courts.

The advice was issued by immigration tribunals chief Mr Justice Hodge after a case had to be halted when a legal adviser refused to remove her veil.

The Lord Chief Justice said full rules on the veils issue were being drawn up.

Earlier this week it emerged legal adviser Shabnam Mughal had refused to remove her headwear during an immigration tribunal in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

She had been asked to do so by Judge George Glossop, who said he could not hear her properly.

Eventually Judge Glossop adjourned the hearing to seek advice from president of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) Mr Justice Hodge.

It is understood the hearing will now go ahead next week with a different judge presiding…

The guidance applies to all courts.

Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers said he had asked the equal treatment advisory committee of the Judicial Studies Board to develop detailed guidance on the use of veils by all people involved in court cases – including the parties, legal representatives, witnesses, jurors and magistrates.

Who knew that the "immigration tribunals chief" was so all powerful?

And note that the judge who had the temerity to ask her to remove her veil because he could not hear what she was saying has been, er, replaced.

Won’t it be great when witnesses get to wear them, too? And judtges? So much for having an "open court."

Alas, the West blithely skips another step closer to our dhimmitude.

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