Britain worries about a parallel legal system

When is it correct to halve the inheritances of widows and to exclude bastards from wills?

Earlier this year the Law Society, the body representing solicitors in England and Wales, issued formal guidance to its members on drafting wills for Muslim clients who want their assets distributed in accordance with sharia practices.

The purpose was to meet the needs of a diverse multi-faith, multi-cultural society in which followers of Islam constitute a significant share of the population: 4.4 per cent overall for the United Kingdom, around 5 per cent in England proper.

The advice given – which can halve the share of estates passing to female heirs with respect to males and entirely exclude illegitimate children from the succession – triggered protests by solicitors and activists who view the note as promoting division between Muslims and non-Muslims and within Muslim communities themselves, fostering discriminatory practices against women, children and non-Muslims.

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