On 19 December, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights made a ruling concerning the application of Sharia law in Europe over inheritance rights.
The court ruled that a Greek woman should have her inheritance dispute settled by Greek domestic law rather than by Sharia law. The application of Sharia law to this case was found to be in violation of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex, race and religion. The court noted that ‘several international bodies’ had expressed concern about the application of Sharia law and the discrimination created, in particular against women and children.
Sharia compatible?
In 2003, Strasbourg judges ruled that ‘Sharia is incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy’ and with the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights1. But this was not reiterated in this case.
