Women giving evidence in court should not be able to hide their faces behind religious veils, one of Britain’s most senior judges has suggested.
Supreme Court president Lady Hale said it is vital to see expressions and body language when judging whether someone is telling the truth – something she learned while presiding over a child abuse case.
The intervention from Lady Hale, head of the Supreme Court since last autumn, comes after more than two years since guidance was promised from the Lord Chief Justice on whether or not women in courts should be allowed to cover their faces for religious reasons.
She said in a speech to the Oxford Centre For Islamic Studies: ‘The ingredients of a fair trial should be the same for all, regardless of their religious or other beliefs. We do take it for granted in this country that observing a person’s facial expressions, body language and general demeanour are an important part of assessing their credibility. [Daily Mail] Read more
