A new Bill has been introduced to Parliament to tackle the problem of Sharia courts in England and Wales.

Under the Bill, it will become a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to falsely claim legal jurisdiction over criminal or family law. The Bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday by Baroness Cox.

Lady Cox said: “Equality under the law is a core value of British justice. My Bill seeks to preserve that standard…. I am deeply concerned about the treatment of Muslim women by Sharia courts. We must do all that we can to make sure they are free from any coercion, intimidation or unfairness.”

The Bill is supported by a wide range of groups, including The Christian Institute and the National Secular Society.

Christian Institute news report, 8 June 2011

Yes, this is the same Baroness Cox who, together with Lord Pearson, invited Dutch far-right racist Geert Wilders to the House of Lords to show his Islamophobic film Fitna – an event that prompted a supportive demonstration by the English Defence League. So the idea that Cox is motivated by concern for the rights of Muslims, whether women or men, is frankly laughable.