There are as many as 85 sharia courts operating in Britain, according to a new report, published by the think-tank Civitas. Academic Denis MacEoin, the report’s author, said the existence of the courts practising Islamic law could lead to different legal standards being applied to Muslim and non-Muslim citizens. He said many of the courts operate out of mosques and their rulings are closed off to non-Muslims.
In previous reports it was claimed there were only five sharia courts in the UK, working in London, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and Nuneaton. His report includes a list of previous sharia judgements which he believes give an indication of the type of ruling being handed down by the courts working in the UK.
