CFP-Sharia law for wills - Université de Rennes 1

Sharia law for wills - and then what?
Sadikur Rahman, The Telegraph, March 22 2014
The Law Society’s decision to issue a practice note to solicitors who may be interested in
drafting “Sharia-compliant” wills for their Muslim clients is shocking.
1) Even before we consider the technical issues surrounding the drafting of wills and gender
discrimination inherent in Sharia inheritance provisions, the Law Society seems to be endorsing
different sets of a laws for different groups of people. The idea of equality before the law is being
dangerously undermined.
2) In Britain, unless you draw up a will, your estate on death will be distributed according to the rules
of intestacy. I accept that people can do whatever they want with their assets, and it has always been
the case that a lawyer must follow the client’s instructions. But this guidance legitimises
discrimination towards women, “illegitimate” and adopted children, and non-Muslim partners or
offspring who may be the result of inter-marriage.
3) The key paragraph states: “The male heirs in most cases receive double the amount inherited by a
female heir of the same class. Non-Muslims may not inherit at all, and only Muslim marriages are
recognised. Similarly, a divorced spouse is no longer a Sharia heir, as the entitlement depends on a
valid Muslim marriage existing at the date of death.”
4) It is hard to overstate how irrational this is. The guidance advises solicitors how to discriminate and
avoid equality legislation and, moreover, discriminates on its completion. Of course, a person has
always been able to distribute their assets in any way they choose, and a Muslim may legally have
done so according to Sharia principles without letting the lawyer know the basis of the instructions.
But the difference now is that a solicitor could offer this service and develop a product specifically
designed for a Muslim client who wants to distribute their assets according to their religious
requirement.
5) There seems to be no recognition of the fact that solicitors are being asked to use and accommodate
instructions that, in any other circumstances, would be socially unacceptable. Suppose a client
instructed that their assets should not go to a relative because they happened to be of a different race or
religion. Would that be acceptable? Will the authorities, perversely, then be expected to use these
principles, at the risk of acting discriminatorily themselves? Anyone who thinks this is far-fetched
need only to look to a recent supreme court decision in Greece, where this is exactly what happened.
6) Should it be the role of a secular organisation such as the Law Society to take a view on theological
matters? This raises serious questions about professional ethics and the role of the Law Society. The
guidance seems not to recognise that there is a serious potential conflict between the code of conduct
for solicitors and the guidance. Here is what the code – which all solicitors must abide by – says about
equality and diversity: “As a matter of general law, you must comply with requirements set out in
legislation – including the Equality Act 2010 – as well as the conduct duties contained in this chapter.”
In other words, it makes clear that solicitors cannot discriminate; yet this new guidance encourages us
to facilitate discrimination in advising Muslim clients on how to draft their wills in way that is
incompatible with equality legislation.
7) This is a dangerous precedent and legitimises a discriminatory practice that, without this guidance,
clients may have been embarrassed to ask about. The Law Society’s endorsement normalises it and
makes it acceptable. That, in turn, will make it easier for calls to be made for such rules to be
formalised, thereby opening the way for Sharia to permeate other areas, such as family law. The
guidance should be withdrawn.
Sadikur Rahman is a solicitor and a member of the Lawyers Secular Society
Sharia law for wills - and then what?
Structure
A strongly-worded article ("The Law Society’s decision... is shocking"; §1: " The idea of
equality before the law is being dangerously undermined") ) by a "member of the Lawyers
Secular Society", who decided to express his concern at a practice note issued by the Law
Society which he believes could not only compromise the Code of Conduct for solicitors but
also increase the application of Sharia law in the UK ("And then what?").
At the heart of his objection is the notion of religion-based discrimination against women and
non-muslims (§2: "discrimination towards women, “illegitimate” and adopted children,...") in
matters of successions, which, for a secular lawyer, (§4: "how irrational this is") are nothing
but unjustifiable.
Indeed, even though British testators [testateurs] are free in law to give their estate
[patrimoine successoral] to whom they wish, the new guidelines actually encourage solicitors
to promote Sharia-based discrimination (§4: " develop a product specifically designed for a
Muslim client; " encourages us to facilitate discrimination"), in violation of their legal duty to
prevent unequal treatment (§6: " is a serious potential conflict"; " must comply with
requirements set out in legislation")
This, Mr Rahman argues, is an affront to the law, reason, and professional ethics (§7: "This is
a dangerous precedent and legitimises a discriminatory practice"). More worrying, still, are
the aftereffects [séquelles] of such a policy, which risks paving a way to [ouvrir la voie à] to
more religious-based unwanted exceptions in other areas of law (§7: " opening the way for
Sharia to permeate other areas") in which vulnerable people are often in need of protection,
like marriage settlements[ régimes matrimoniaux], divorce, etc. ("Family law").
The writer addresses the profession an unambiguous warning which can also be read as a call
to arms (§7: "The guidance should be withdrawn").
Issues:
How far are Mr Rahman's views prejudiced by his secularist stance [prise de position laïque]?
How far should domestic law [le droit interne] accommodate [s'adapter à] religious principles
in the name of inclusiveness?
Is religion compatible with secular law?
In English law, a testator enjoys testamentary freedom (there is no forced heirship rule
[réserve héréditaire]). What is your opinion on the question?
Sharia law for wills - and then what?
VOCABULARY
Title
will: testament
Law Society ≈ Conseil représentatif des solicitors (The Law Society represents solicitors in
each region of the UK). From negotiating with and lobbying the profession's regulators,
government and others, to offering training and advice, their job is to help, protect and
promote solicitors)
to issue: publier, émettre
practice note: note pratique
solicitor: avocat, notaire (Il existe deux catégories d'avocats en Grande-Bretagne: les
"solicitors" et les "barristers" (appelés "advocates" en Écosse). Les premiers sont à la fois des
notaires, qui traitent donc les transactions immobilières, les affaires de succession, etc, et des
avocats habilités à plaider au civil dans les instances inférieures. Les seconds sont des avocats
plus spécialisés, qui interviennent au pénal ou au civil dans les instances supérieures, y
compris pour défendre des affaires dont ils sont saisis par des "solicitors")
to draft: rédiger
-compliant: en conformité avec (to comply with: se conformer à)
Muslim: musulman
shocking: scandaleux
§1
to surround: entourer
gender discrimination: discrimination fondée sur le sexe
inheritance: héritage, succession
provision: disposition
to endorse: avaliser, appuyer; souscrire à
to undermine: saper, miner
§2
to draw up: rédiger
estate: patrimoine successoral
intestacy: succession ab-intestat
assets: patrimoine, biens
guidance: conseils
to legitimise: légitimer
partner: concubin
offspring: progéniture
§3
to state: déclarer
heir: héritier
amount: montant
PTO
to inherit (from): hériter (de)
spouse: époux
entitlement: droit (to be entitled to: avoir droit à)
§4
to overstate: exagérer
to advise: conseiller
to avoid: éviter
completion: finalisation
requirement: exigence
§5
recognition: reconnaissance
to accomodate: s'adapter à
to instruct sb to: donner des instructions à, charger de
relative: parent
perversely: obstinément, paradoxalement; par esprit de contradiction
far-fetched: tiré par les cheveux, bizarre
§6
secular: laïque
professional ethics: déontologie
to abide (abode-abode) by: se conformer à
to set out: énoncer
§7
precedent: précédent, jurisprudence
endorsement: appui, approbation; ratification; recommandation
call: demande
rule: règle
thereby: de cette façon, par ce moyen
to permeate: pénétrer dans, se répandre dans
to withraw: retirer
La Charia fait son entrée en droit britannique
Par : Emeline Magnier | Le 2014-03-28
Le Barreau de Grande-Bretagne vient de publier des directives adressées à ses membres
et les autorise à rédiger des testaments appliquant la Charia islamique…
1) La loi islamique est sur le point de faire son entrée dans le système judiciaire britannique.
Dans des lignes directrices diffusées auprès de ses membres la semaine dernière, le Barreau
les autorise a rédiger des testaments conformes aux principes de la Charia, rapporte le
National Post.
2) En application du testament, qui serait reconnu par les tribunaux de Grande-Bretagne, les
femmes pourraient être privées de leurs droits de succession, tout comme les non-croyants et
les enfants nés hors mariage.
3) Nicholas Fluck, président du Barreau, a indiqué que le but des directives était de
promouvoir les bonnes pratiques en matière d'application des principes islamiques dans le
système judiciaire britannique.
4) Certains avocats, stupéfaits de la position prise par leur ordre, craignent qu'il s'agisse d'une
première étape vers l'émergence d'un système de justice parallèle pour les communautés
musulmanes.
5) La baronne Cox - à la tête d'une campagne parlementaire visant à protéger les femmes
contre les discriminations religieuses - a déclaré qu'il s'agissait d'un développement
particulièrement inquiétant et s'est engagée à en référer aux ministres. «Cela viole tous ce que
nous défendons. Les suffragettes vont se retourner dans leur tombe.»
6) Distribué aux avocats d'Angleterre et du Pays de Galles, ce guide explique en détail les
modalités de rédaction des testaments afin qu’ils respectent les traditions islamiques tout en se
conformant à la loi.
7) Certains testaments pourraient être accompagnés d'une déclaration de foi en Allah rédigée
dans une mosquée locale. D'après les directives, des principes de la Charia annuleraient des
dispositions britanniques dans le cadre de certains litiges.
En Grande Bretagne, un réseau de tribunaux islamiques s'est développé pour régler les
différends entre les familles musulmanes et interviennent conformément à la Loi sur
l'arbitrage.
Mais de nombreux tribunaux officieux, rattachés à des mosquées, connaissent des affaires de
divorces religieux ou de garde d'enfants.
http://www.droit-inc.com