A Muslim woman has been allowed to make a plea in court while wearing a face-covering niqab after a judge agreed a compromise in which she was identified in private by a female police officer who then attested to her identity.
The judge in the case at Blackfriars crown court in London then heard arguments as to whether the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, should be allowed to wear the niqab, which leaves only her eyes showing, during her full trial. Judge Peter Murphy will give that decision on Monday.
The compromise follows a standoff when the woman, who is charged with witness intimidation, first appeared before Murphy in August. Then, he ordered her to remove the face covering, saying the requirement for her to be properly identified as the defendant overrode her religious beliefs. She refused, saying she did not want to uncover her face when there were men in the room, and the case was adjourned.
On Thursday he allowed her to plead not guilty in the dock wearing the niqab after a female police officer who saw the defendant's face when her custody photograph was taken witnessed her with the veil removed in a private room. The officer then swore on oath that the correct person was in court. » | Peter Walker and agency | Thursday, September 12, 2013
