Britain looks to Ban Women from wearing veils while giving testimony in Court

Muslim women should not be allowed to wear a veil when giving evidence in court, declared one of UK cabinet ministers, while arguing that it is a question of testimony validation – not Islamophobia. 

“We do need a clear rule. I don't think a witness should be allowed to give evidence from behind a veil.” Minister Ken Clarke told BBC radio on Sunday.

Clarke is currently a minister without a portfolio, but also a former criminal lawyer and the holder of several posts, including Justice Minister and Home Secretary in the past. 

He has also argued that wearing an Islamic women’s dress in court is akin to being “in a bag”, which is likely to add to the already heated debate following the September case where a judge banned a veiled Muslim woman from testifying at her own trial.

"I can't see how on earth a judge and a jury can really appraise evidence when you're facing someone who is cloaked and is completely invisible to you. It's almost impossible to have a proper trial if one of the persons is in a kind of bag," Clarke said. 

However, he defended himself saying that these comments did not stem from his prejudices and contained no Islamophobic undertones. He said he indeed had no objections to veils outside the courtroom, as long as they were “decent,” but added that judge and jury should be able to look at the person delivering a testimony, without straining to understand their body language and facial expressions. Otherwise, the truth becomes compromised, he argued. 

"I actually think it undermines a trial and that's not based on any trace of Islamophobia," Clarke concluded.

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