22 September 2013

Jack Straw: Muslim Face Veils Should Not Be Worn By Defendants In Court

Former Home Secretary Jack Straw has called for new laws on the wearing of the veil in court.

The Blackburn MP welcomed a ruling by a judge that a defendant should remove the niqab while giving evidence.

But he said it did not go far enough, saying the woman's face should be visible throughout the whole of the trial.

Straw sparked a worldwide debate in 2006 when he used his Lancashire Telegraph column to call on women to remove the veil when they visited his surgeries. [The Huffington Post UK, 17 September] Read more