On July 3, Lord Chief Justice Lord Nicholas Phillips, the most senior judge in the UK, opined in a speech to the London Muslim Centre that Islamic legal principles could be employed to deal with family and marital arguments and to regulate finance. Predictably, an uproar ensued, as happened several months ago when the Archbishop of Canterbury made similar suggestions. For more details, including a link to the text of his speech, see Melanie Phillips' take here.
What does it mean when the most senior religious and legal representatives are so dismissive of the traditions and laws of their country? I guess we're about to find out. The public outcry suggests that many people are outraged, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown rejected these proposals. However, Islamists have considerable influence, including within the government and the ruling Labour Party. My sense is that the tide is still running in their favor.
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