Secret talks to bring Islamic courts to Scotland
The Scotsman newspaper is reporting that secret talks are being held with the aim of bringing Sharia law courts to Scotland.
Qamar Bhatti, director of the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (MAT), which runs the courts, admitted discussions were taking place with lawyers and Muslim community groups in Scotland.
The group is believed to be aiming to set up courts in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
In September it emerged that five sharia courts, ruling on civil cases from divorce to domestic violence and financial disputes, had been operating for more than a year in London, Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and at MAT headquarters in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
The courts have legal powers, with their decisions enforceable through the county courts or high courts.
However, concerns have been raised about the establishment of a “dual legal system”.
You don’t say.
The Scotsman quotes representatives of several Muslim groups in Scotland who are not keen on implementing Sharia courts.
In 2005, the Government of Ontario floated a trial balloon suggesting that Sharia courts might be set up in the province. The proposal was quickly repudiated following a huge public outcry.
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