30 October 2016

Top sharia court ‘is protecting wife-beater suspects’

A prominent sharia court has been accused of “sabotaging” criminal proceedings to protect alleged perpetrators of domestic violence against women.

The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (Mat) in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, is one of the most influential of about 80 Islamic “councils” in Britain.

It rules on disputes within Muslim communities and says on its website that it can make submissions to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to “reconsider” criminal charges against men accused of assaulting their partners.

The tribunal says that it tries to provide “reconciliation” services after men have been charged with domestic violence.

“The terms of such a reconciliation can then be passed by the Mat to the Crown Prosecution Service [CPS] through the local police domestic violence liaison officers with a view to reconsidering the criminal charges,” its website states. [The Times (£)] Read more