This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/7529694.stm
The article has changed 18 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Teenager wins legal bangle battle | Teenager wins legal bangle battle |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A teenager has won her High Court discrimination claim against her school which excluded her for breaking its "no jewellery" rule. | A teenager has won her High Court discrimination claim against her school which excluded her for breaking its "no jewellery" rule. |
| Sarika Singh, 14, from Cwmbach, south Wales was excluded in November 2007 from Aberdare Girls School for refusing to take off a religious bangle. | Sarika Singh, 14, from Cwmbach, south Wales was excluded in November 2007 from Aberdare Girls School for refusing to take off a religious bangle. |
| The school claimed its no jewellery policy was fair to all. | |
| A High Court judge in London ruled on the controversial matter after reserving judgement last month. | A High Court judge in London ruled on the controversial matter after reserving judgement last month. |
| Sarika says the Kara bangle is important to her as it is a symbol of her Sikh faith. | Sarika says the Kara bangle is important to her as it is a symbol of her Sikh faith. |
| It's a very common sense judgement that makes clear that you must have a very good reason before you interfere with someone's religious freedom and ethnic identity Anna Fairclough | |
| Liberty which backed her, has argued the school has breached race relations, equality and human rights laws | |
| They said it also contravened a 25-year-old Law Lords' decision which allows Sikh children to wear items representing their faith, including turbans, to school. | |
| Anna Fairclough, the Singh family's solicitor said: "I'm very pleased to say that Sarika's won her case. | |
| "It's a very common sense judgement that makes clear that you must have a very good reason before you interfere with someone's religious freedom and ethnic identity. | |
| "No such reason was forthcoming in this case. | |
| "It's a shame that each generation has to fight the same battles. This battle was already fought 25 years ago and Sarika shouldn't have had to go through that again. | |
| "Our great British traditions of religious tolerance and race equality have been rightly upheld today. | |
| "The courts made clear that schools schools should protect pupils from being bullied and not ostracise them for expressing their beliefs." | |
| A spokesperson from Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council said it had been informed of the High Court's judgement in the case and it would "be working with the school's governing body to ensure Sarika Singh's continued education." |