>>This is the sort of thing that the rabble rousing right wing press seizes on without reading the detail. Whats actually being talked about is putting the sharia court on the same footing for the Muslim community as the Beth Din for the Jewish community. Uk law would still take precedence.
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>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7233040.stm
>
>IMO both are wrong - no other court should have any formal standing but the country's own legal system. The parties may chose to settle out of court, but only after being in the court first.
>
>But then, it's just another patch on the multicolored mix of legal systems and all kinds of courts that's already in place.

I don't think all case need to end up in court. Its nice for the lawyers but the Beth Din, Sharia Courts and other conciliation services can be a good thing. Why end up at those services after paying a fortune in legal costs.