Veil exposes courtroom quandary – BBC News

Posted September 13th, 2013 in courts, identification, Islam, news, pleadings, precedent, women by tracey

“Sitting in Blackfriars Crown Court in south London, I watched a very modern, multicultural dilemma. Back in August, a Muslim woman was due to appear, accused of intimidating a witness. The woman, whom the BBC isn’t naming for legal reasons, was expected to enter a plea. But Judge Peter Murphy said he could not hear that plea because he could not identify her: she was wearing a niqab, the type of black face covering worn by some Muslim women that only leaves their eyes visible.”

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BBC News, 12th September 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk