A judge in Trinidad and Tobago has to decide whether a person wearing a burqa should be accepted as a juror.  According to a report in Caribbean Net News, Justice Joan Charles heard submissions from lawyers who argued that nothing in the Jury Act disqualifies potential jurors who wear such garb.

The issue became a burning one when a Muslim juror came to court wearing a burkah, covered from head to toe in a black robe. The juror’s entire head and face were covered except for a slit in the area of her eyes.
[…]
The lawyers contended, “The mere fact that a potential juror wears a burkah or hijab is not a basis of itself to be excluded from sitting.”

The reference to the hijab is a red herring, for a hijab does not cover the face. (See graphic at right.)

“Based on the prevailing law, the mere fact that a juror is of a particular race, or has a particular religious belief cannot be a challenge for cause by the prosecution or the defence,” the lawyers argued.

Neither race nor religion is relevant here.  Islam is not a race, and Islam does not require all Muslim women to wear a burqa.

The question the judge should be pondering is: Are people wearing masks allowed to serve as jurors?

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Tags: Islamic teaching, Trinidad and Tobago
Filed under: Islam, Law Crime and Legal Issues, Non-Christian Religions