Conclusion

The findings revealed new evidence relating to egalitarian frame­work to be used within Shari’a Councils (from the Qur’an, Sunna and A’isha’s methodology) and on contested parts of women using Islamic and English mediation and there was very little redress avail­able under the English family justice system.

The empirical evidence revealed that women can suffer under both systems as victims of domestic abuse and their freedom, autonomy and power can be compromised. The decision whether to opt for an informal or formal mediation forum or formal English family justice system is determined by risk of abuse, denial of legal aid and obser­vance of religion, religious values and individual factors. The state can encourage safeguards and work closely with the Muslim commu­nity to improve the standard of justice delivered, procedural fairness, minimise power imbalances and eliminate gender inequality to reflect fairness within Shari’a Councils.

Notes

1 Domestic-Abuse-PD12J, https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/upload

2017/09/presidents-cicular-domestic-abuse-pd12j-substituted-pd- 20170914.pdf accessed on 04.04.2021.

2 In 2018, 1.3 million women and 695,000 men experienced domestic abuse, https://www.gov.uk?government/publications/domestic-abuse- bill-2019-overaching-fact-sheet accessed on 06.11.2021.

3 Foucault (1982) identified three types of struggle: against domination on religious, ethnic and religious grounds.

4 FMC Code of Conduct, http://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2018/05/fmc-code-of-practice-may-2018.pdf accessed on 31.03.2021.

5 Home Office, Independent Review into Shari’a Law Launched (Home Office 2016), www.gov.uk/government/news/independent-review-into- shari’a-law-launched accessed 14.04. 2021.

6 See, Refah Partisi (The Welfare Party) and Others v Turkey (No 1) (2002) 35 EEHR 3 at [72].

7 FMC Code of Conduct, n 4.

8 Birkbeck Ethics Research Guidelines, http://www.bbk.ac.uk/commit- tees/research-integrity/guidelinesresearchwithethicallmplications.pdf accessed on 20.06.2012.

9 ‘Outdated Weddings Laws to Be Overhauled under New Reforms’, https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/centuries-old-weddings-laws-to-be- overhauled-under-new-reforms/ accessed 27.08.2022.

10 Immigration Rules: Victims of Domestic Violence, Appendix FM (Section DVILR-E-DVILR), http://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/ immigration-rules-appendix-fm-family-members accessed 13.03.2021.

11 Interviewed on 1 July 2016.

12 Interviewed on 20 July 2016.

13 FMC Code of Conduct, n 6.

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