The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that witnesses could cover their faces for religious reasons while testifying in court under some circumstances. A Muslim woman, who cannot be named under a court order, asked to wear a niqab, a full-face veil, for religious reasons when testifying in an Ontario court against two men whom she has accused of sexual assault. The Supreme Court did not specifically rule on her request. But it provided trial judges with a four-part process for analyzing such requests to maintain a balance between religious freedoms and the right to a fair trial. The defendants’ lawyers argued that the faces of witnesses provided clues about the truthfulness of their testimony. Canada’s immigration minister recently barred women from wearing a niqab when taking the citizenship oath.
World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Court Seeks a Balance on Veils
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World Briefing | The Americas: Canada: Court Seeks a Balance on Veils
