Respect women's right to wear veil in court, says Britain's most senior judge

Guardian wrote:

Lord Neuberger says fairness requires understanding of different cultures and warns against judges’ privileged perspective being allowed to sway decisions

Judges must show respect to women who choose to keep their faces covered due to their religious beliefs, the UK’s most senior judge has said.

Lord Neuberger said judges must have “an understanding of different cultural and social habits” in their bid to show fairness to those involved in trials.

Addressing the Criminal Justice Alliance, the supreme court president said: “It is necessary to have some understanding as to how people from different cultural, social, religious or other backgrounds think and behave and how they expect others to behave.

“Well-known examples include how some religions consider it inappropriate to take the oath, how some people consider it rude to look other people in the eye, how some women find it inappropriate to appear in public with their face uncovered, and how some people deem it inappropriate to confront others or to be confronted - for instance with an outright denial.”