A review ordered by the government has concluded that Muslim couples who get married in Sharia ceremonies should also be required to have a civil marriage as well.
The independent report into Sharia states that the registration of Sharia marriages will give Muslim women the rights and protections of UK family law, while also ensuring that they face “less discriminatory practices”.
The survey, conducted in November 2017, found that two thirds of Muslim women “married” in Britain are not legally married as their ceremonies are not recognised by the law. The review, led by Mona Siddiqui, a professor of Islamic studies at Edinburgh University, also heard that the percentage of Muslim couples who fail to have a civil marriage was “high and increasing”.
The review was set in 2016 by Theresa May when she was the home secretary as there were concerns that some Sharia councils allegedly operated an informal parallel system of justice. The review also calls for regulations of courts and Sharia councils that deal with Islamic law, however, the government had dismissed the proposal.
The Home Office stated that the recommendation on regulation was not supported by everyone on the review panel and hence, it was dismissed.
