UK Prime Minister Theresa May -- during her years as a Home
Secretary -- had launched an independent review of the implications of Sharia
Law in England and Wales.
Many were concerned with the legalisation of Sharia courts.
According to RightsInfo.org Researcher Olivia Percival, the religious law based
on Islamic faith may introduce creeping changes in UK human rights.
About 85 Sharia councils operate in the United Kingdom. They
rule on family matters including divorce and child custody.
Mrs May's independent review in the application of Sharia
Law in England and Wales helps in the assessment of Sharia law being applied
compatibly with the English and Welsh law and if it is being used to treat women
indiscriminately.
The principle that everyone is equal before the law is
imperative in both English and Welsh and Sharia laws. However, minorities make
the most vulnerable in their groups especially women and children suffer from
littel knowledge regarding their rights.
A second, and related issue, is the standards which are
applied in these alternative forums. Because they are not public bodies, they
are not bound by the Human Rights Act in the way national courts are. Their
judgments may therefore violate human rights, and may in particular be
discriminatory towards women.
Under international human rights law, the UK government
remains responsible for ensuring that its human rights obligations, including
under the UN Women’s Rights Convention, are met, including in minority legal
orders which are not formally recognised under national law.
