The full face veil courted controversy this week after a judge ruled that a Muslim woman must remove her niqab while giving evidence but may wear it at other times during her trial. "Judge Peter Murphy delivered a judgment on Monday that is learned, readable and persuasive. It is also, in my view, wrong," writes Joshua Rozenberg. He continues:
Murphy correctly identified the balance that he had to strike. But he then struck it in the wrong place. He rightly said that the jury must be able to see the defendant if she gives evidence. But he did not think she should have to remove her veil at other times. "While it remains true that juries scrutinise defendants throughout the proceedings and take note of a defendant's reaction to the evidence as it is given throughout the trial," the judge said, "I am not persuaded that this is of sufficient importance to require a restriction on the defendant's right to wear the niqab."
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