The Law Society is set to run a formal training course in Islamic sharia law for high street lawyers across the UK.
The training course follows recent guidelines issued by the Law Society on how solicitors should draft sharia-compliant wills which deny women an equal share of inheritance and exclude non-Muslims entirely.
The regulatory body said that the one-day summer course, described as an “introduction to Islamic Sharia law for small firms”, will be a forerunner to a series of seminars on Islamic law.
“This event will set you thinking on an important area of client service as our expert and authoritative speakers highlight some basic concepts and requirements of the Islamic Sharia applicable to these practice areas,” the Society said.
Andrea Williams of Christian Concern said: “It's ironic that the Law Society prohibited Christian Concern from holding a colloquium on marriage on its premises on the basis that it was contrary to its 'diversity' policy, and yet is promoting sharia law.
"It’s a reality that sharia courts have been in existence in towns and cities across UK, with the result that many Muslim women living in Britain are unable to get proper access to justice.
“We must continue to press for one law for all, to ensure that the law of our land applies equally to all its citizens. The freedom and fairness found under English Law is being usurped by the very regulatory body which should be upholding the highest standards of legal training for the country’s lawyers, to ensure that vulnerable people – in this case women and girls – are not actively discriminated against by the courts of the land."
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