Sharia courts rule on sex lives in Britain

By Graham Tibbetts Ten currently operate across the country, with around 95 per cent of their cases relating to matrimonial issues.

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Although the hearings have no basis in British law, they are attended voluntarily by Muslim couples to settle disputes without referral to the recognised authorities. In some cases they can order wives to be more attentive to their husbands' needs, or deal with releasing spouses from bad or forced marriages. The first Muslim court was established in Birmingham in 1982 and others have followed in London and the Yorkshire towns of Rotherham and Dewsbury. Although most of those who attend are from the Indian sub-continent, Sharia courts are also popular among those from Arab and Somalian backgrounds. More...