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| Muslim woman must remove veil to give trial evidence | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Muslim woman can stand trial wearing a full-face veil but must remove it to give evidence, a judge has ruled. | |
| Judge Peter Murphy made the ruling at Blackfriars Crown Court in London where the woman is due to stand trial for one count of intimidating a witness. | Judge Peter Murphy made the ruling at Blackfriars Crown Court in London where the woman is due to stand trial for one count of intimidating a witness. |
| The 22-year-old from Hackney had refused to remove her niqab and reveal her face in front of any man. | |
| The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing. | |
| The order means that if the woman still refuses to comply during her trial she could be jailed for Contempt of Court. | |
| In a niqab the only part of the face that is visible is a narrow horizontal stripe showing her eyes. | |
| 'Elephant in courtroom' | |
| The judge said he would offer the woman a screen to shield her from public view but she had to be seen by him, the jury and lawyers. | |
| At other times, she would be permitted to keep her face covered while sitting in the dock. | |
| In the ruling Judge Murphy said concealing the face would "drive a coach and horses through the way justice has been administered in England and Wales for centuries". | |
| He added "the niqab has become the elephant in the courtroom" and there was widespread uncertainty and anxiety among judges over how to tackle the issue. | |
| The judge said: "If judges in different cases in different places took differing approaches [to the niqab] the result would be judicial anarchy." | |
| When asked if they would appeal the decision, the woman's lawyer said they would "consider our options". | |
| At a previous hearing the issue of her identity was resolved when the woman removed her veil for a female police officer who verified her identity. | |
| In the woman's defence, barrister Susan Meek argued that her human right to express her faith through her attire would be breached if she was asked to remove her veil against her wishes. |