Burqas have been banned in a courtroom in an unprecedented move by a Victorian Supreme Court judge.
The wife of an accused terrorist was ordered by Justice Christopher Beale this week to remove her niqab and show her face while attending her husband’s trial.
She refused to remove the traditional Muslim veil, instead choosing to sit outside, Herald Sun reported.
The burqa ban is believed to be the first implemented in a Victorian court.
Burqas have been banned in court in an unprecedented move by a Victorian Supreme Court judge (stock image)
The wife of an accused terrorist was ordered by Justice Christopher Beale (pictured) this week to remove her niqab and show her face while attending her husband’s trial in the Victorian Supreme Court
‘I require anybody who comes into the court — and all are welcome — but anybody who comes into the court, for their face to be uncovered,’ Justice Beale said.
The Victorian Supreme Court website advises people attending to ‘dress appropriately’, however it doesn’t outline if burqas or niqabs are allowed.
Nonetheless, a court spokesperson told the publication that judges can decide who is allowed to sit in their courts.
Islamic Council of Victoria vice president Adel Salman slammed the ban by Justice Beale, saying it’s a violation of the woman’s human rights.
He added: ‘I think the judge’s decision is unreasonable and concerning.
The burqa ban in the Victorian Supreme Court (pictured) is believed to be the state’s first
‘Women choose to wear it. It’s part of their faithfulness to God. To ask them to remove it is quite intrusive and, in some cases, can be traumatic.’
The accused terrorist’s supporters refused to follow court protocols last year and wouldn’t stand when a magistrate entered the courtroom, according to the Herald Sun.
Last year, the Victorian opposition proposed a law to slap women who refuse to show their face in court with a two-week jail term or a $1,500 fine.
Opposition leader Matthew Guy renewed his call for the policy on Wednesday, saying: ‘If you don’t respect the court, you don’t respect the law.’