A girl was unlawfully excluded
from school for wearing a traditional Muslim gown instead of school
uniform, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Shabina Begum, 15,
accused Denbigh High School in Luton, Beds, of denying her "right to
education and to manifest her religious beliefs".
Cherie Booth QC represented her at the appeal court hearing in December.
Judges were told then the case involved "fundamental issues" of the freedom to practise religion.
Miss
Begum, whose father and mother are both dead, had worn the regulation
shalwar kameez (trousers and tunic) from when she joined the school at
the age of 12 until September 2002.
At that time she and her
brother, Shuweb Rahman, informed assistant headteacher Stuart Moore she
would be wearing a full length gown-type garment called a jilbab.
The
head teacher and governors of the school where 79% of pupils were
Muslim said this was not acceptable and she should keep to the accepted
uniform policy.
After Miss Begum was sent home a series of court
cases started and the latest of these was heard at the Appeal Court in
December.
High Court judge Mr Justice Bennett had already
dismissed the girl's application for judicial review, ruling that she
had failed to show the 1,000-pupil school had excluded her or breached
her human rights.
(Source: bbc news)---
