Lords to rule on Muslim clothes

The case of a girl excluded from school for wearing Muslim dress is set to be heard in the House of Lords. Shabina Begum, 16, won a landmark ruling in March when the appeal court upheld her right to wear the jilbab, which leaves only the hands and eyes exposed. The court ruled that the ban breached human rights. The school, Denbigh High in Luton, Bedfordshire, has now won leave to take the case to the Lords and the governors are due to decide within the next few days whether to go ahead. The case could set a precedent for schools and Muslim children across Britain.

Sunday Times, 24 July 2005