Toronto, June 10: A Canadian court is currently deciding whether to allow a rape complainant to wear a Muslim veil while giving evidence.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has been asked to decide whether the woman can wear a veil in court, after defence lawyers argued that the two men charged with the offence should be able to face their accuser.
A lower court had ordered the woman to remove her niqab while testifying against her alleged assailants.
The woman’s lawyer has argued that his client had a right to wear the face-covering Islamic veil as it protects her religious freedom, but the defence has countered by saying the facial expression of the accuser should be able to be read in cross-examination of the case.
The now 32-year-old woman claimed she was sexually assaulted and abused by an uncle and cousin between 1982 and 1987.
The appeal court is expected to rule on the later in the year.
-Agencies