Muslim woman to watch husband’s terror trial alone after refusing to remove niqab veil

Muslim woman is given her own private room to watch her husband’s terror trial after she refused to take off her full-face veil in court

  • A Muslim woman has refused to take her niqab off in the Vic Supreme court
  • She will watched her husband’s hearing from a live stream in a separate room 
  • In a challenge to the decision she said she would take it off through security 
  • But the judge knocked back the challenge saying face covering wasn’t allowed

A Muslim woman whose husband is currently on trial for terrorism charges will be forced to watch the proceedings from a sealed off room after refusing to remove her full-face veil inside the court.

The woman, who cannot be named, will watch a live stream of the hearing from a private viewing room, so she can follow the trial.

She initially challenged the ban saying that her niqab was fundamental to her practice of faith and any ban on it breached her religious freedom and her right to participate in public life, The Herald Sun reported.

In a challenge to the decision she said she would take it off through security (stock) 

The niqab covers the head and face but leaves an opening for the eyes.

A Supreme Court judge knocked back her challenge saying that security considerations in the court made face coverings impractical.

However, it was revealed that the woman had offered to remove the religious garment on arrival so that her identity could be checked by the security guards.

The judge said that hats and sunglasses were not allowed to be worn in court and that uncovered faces was the least restrictive measure.

He said that while religious freedom and the right to participate in public life were paramount values they had limitations.

‘I consider it a reasonable limitation ‘demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom’ to require spectators in the public gallery to have their faces uncovered,’ the judge said. 

‘I do consider it to be an impediment to the ­deterrence and punishment of misbehaviour by spectators in the public gallery.’

He said that if spectators misbehaved while wearing face coverings it may be difficult to determine their identities. 

A Muslim woman has refused to take her niqab off in the Victorian Supreme court

A Muslim woman has refused to take her niqab off in the Victorian Supreme court

 

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