A judge has refused to let a Muslim woman in a full-length burka enter a plea until she reveals her face. The 21-year-old from Hackney, who is charged with intimidating a witness, said she could not remove the veil in front of men because of her religion.
Judge Peter Murphy said however, she could not stand trial in the veil, which only reveals her eyes, because her identity could not be confirmed.
The woman is due back at Blackfriars Crown Court on 12 September.
Judge Murphy said the principle of open justice overrode the woman's religious beliefs, warning that a different person could go into the dock pretending to be her if she did not show her face.
BBC
