Muslim juror expelled for wearing veil

The judge, Aidan Marron QC at Blackfriars Crown Court in London, claimed the veil prevented him from seeing the female juror’s facial expression.

“In this particular case it is desirable that your face is exposed, so I’m going to invite you to stand down,” the judge told the woman.

This comes as the 2007 guidance from the Judicial Studies Board’s equality advisory committee rules that women cannot wear a veil as jurors only if it interferes with administration of justice.

However, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission Massoud Shadjareh said, it is totally “irrelevant” that having one’s face covered could interfere with administration of justice.

“This is totally unacceptable. I really can’t understand why facial expressions could have any impact on the judge, the judgment or anyone else in a trial. It has no relevance,” Shadjareh said.

“I’m speechless that you can exclude someone on the basis of the way that they dress. It’s very worrying that a judge is being prejudiced against women wearing a veil,” he added.

The incident raises human rights fears as the 2007 guideline states a judge is able to “consider” a veiled juror’s dismissal only if one of the concerned parties raises on objection with a good reason, which did not happen at Blackfriars Crown Court.

AMR/HE

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