From the Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031611/Sharia-law-SHOULD-used-Britain-says-UKs-judge.html
By Steve Doughty 04th July 2008
The most senior judge in England yesterday gave his blessing to the use of sharia law to resolve disputes among Muslims.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips said that Islamic legal principles could be employed to deal with family and marital arguments and to regulate finance.
He declared: 'Those entering into a contractual agreement can agree that the agreement shall be governed by a law other than English law.'
In his speech at an East London mosque, Lord Phillips signalled approval of sharia principles as long as punishments - and divorce rulings - complied with the law of the land.
But his remarks, which back the informal sharia courts operated by numerous mosques, provoked a barrage of criticism.
Lawyers warned that family and marital disputes settled by sharia could disadvantage women or the vulnerable.
Tories said that legal equality must be respected and that rulings incompatible with English law should never be enforceable.
Lord Phillips spoke five months after Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams suggested Islamic law could govern marital law, financial transactions and arbitration in disputes.
The Lord Chief Justice said yesterday of the Archbishop's views: 'It was not very radical to advocate embracing sharia law in the context of family disputes'.
He added there is 'widespread misunderstanding as to the nature of sharia law'.
Under fire: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. His comments on Sharia sparked a political storm
Lord Phillips said: 'Those who are in dispute are free to subject it to mediation or to agree that it shall be resolved by a chosen arbitrator. There is no reason why principles of sharia law or any other religious code should not be the basis for mediation or other forms of dispute resolution.'
Lord Phillips said that any sanctions must be 'drawn from the laws of England and Wales'. Severe physical punishment - he mentioned stoning, flogging or amputating hands - is 'out of the question' in Britain, he added.
Lord Phillips' speech brought protests from lawyers who fear women could be disadvantaged in supposedly voluntary sharia deals.
Barrister and human rights specialist John Cooper said: 'There should be one law by which everyone is held to account.
'Well-crafted laws in this country, drawn up to protect both parties including the weak and vulnerable party in matrimonial break-ups, could be compromised.'
Resolution, the organisation of family law solicitors, said people should govern their lives in accordance with religious principles 'provided that those beliefs and traditions do not contradict the fundamental principle of equality on which Britain's laws are based.'
Spokesman Teresa Richardson said religious law 'must be used to find solutions which are consistent with the basic principles of family law in this country and people must always have redress to the civil courts where they so choose.'
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Robert Whelan, of the Civitas think tank, said: 'Everybody is governed by English law and it is not possible to sign away your legal rights. That is why guarantees on consumer products always have to tell customers their statutory rights are not affected.
'There is not much doubt that in traditional Islamic communities women do not enjoy the freedoms that they have had for 100 years or more in Britain.
A note from Radarsite: To fight a battle and lose is a noble defeat. But to lose the battle before the fight is an ignoble disgrace. Incomprehensibly, Britain's PC multiculturalist Government is falling all over itself in its race to surrender to its Islamic invaders. Americans can only helplessly watch this shameful drama unfold in disbelief.
Can this really be happening?
Can this really be England?
Will we roll over in our beds tomorrow morning and awaken from this horrific nightmare to find that all is well?
When a friend is determined, truly determined, to commit suicide, all we can really do is hope and pray.
And so, we pray for you dear England. God bless you and keep you.
And so, we pray for you dear England. God bless you and keep you.
So often we hear, "Common Law is based upon common sense."
ReplyDeleteAnd English common law stood so high in values, that it was further implemented into basic codes throughout the various United States of America.
Now what?
Smothering by a Court Lord, yes denying the breath of life, from an esteemed virtue to 'embrace madness'; it seems passionately embrassing madness.
In a prior comment I mentioned one part of the July 4th celebration.
Earlier, I attended a brunch with about 15 people.
How's this?
The host passed round the Declaration of Independence from which each of read a paragraph aloud.
Beautiful.