The head of the judiciary in England and Wales said Thursday that Islamic sharia law could play a part in the legal system here. Lord Chief Justice Lord Nicholas Phillips's comments came after the head of the world's Anglicans, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, sparked outrage in February by saying Britain would likely adopt parts of the Islamic code.
"There is no reason why sharia principles, or any other religious code, should not be the basis for mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution," Phillips said in a speech at the East London Muslim Centre.
"It must be recognised, however, that any sanctions for a failure to comply with the agreed terms of mediation would be drawn from the laws of England and Wales." There are already about a dozen sharia courts in Britain which are mainly used to resolve family disputes but they have no formal legal status.