The Sikh Court
{{Short description|Alternative dispute resolution body for Sikhs in the United Kingdom}}
{{Infobox court
| court_name = The Sikh Court
| image = The_Sikh_Court_logo.png
| caption =
| established = April 2024
| authority = Arbitration Act 1996
| appealsto =
| appealsfrom =
| website = {{URL|https://www.sikhcourt.co.uk/|www.sikhcourt.co.uk}}
| chiefjudgetitle = Chief Judge
| chiefjudgename = Baldip Singh
| chiefjudgetitle2 = Chief Magistrate
| chiefjudgename2 = Gurbani Kaur
| jurisdiction = England and Wales
}}
The Sikh Court is a legal organization set up in the United Kingdom in 2024 by a group of Sikh lawyers. It is intended to act as an alternative dispute resolution body for disputes within the British Sikh community.{{Cite web |title=The world's first Sikh court opens in London - Religion Media Centre |url=https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/news/the-worlds-first-sikh-court-opens-in-london/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=religionmediacentre.org.uk|date=25 April 2024 }}
In spite of its name, the founders have stated that it is not a religious tribunal, and participation in its processes is voluntary.{{Cite web |title=UK Gets First 'Sikh Court' To Deal With Family Disputes: Report |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/uk-gets-first-sikh-court-to-deal-with-family-disputes-report-5523876 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=NDTV.com}}{{Cite web |date=2024-05-02 |title=London gets world's first Sikh court for family dispute resolution |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/world/indians-abroad/story/sikh-community-new-court-london-family-civil-issues-uk-megistrates-judges-punjabi-english-legal-system-2534294-2024-05-02 |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=India Today |language=en}} The court has 46 members, who were sworn in in April 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-26 |title=The world's first Sikh court opens in London: How will it work? |url=https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/first-sikh-court-london-community-disputes-13764010.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Firstpost |language=en-us}}
History
In April 2024, the world's first Sikh court was established by Sikh lawyers in the 15th-century Old Hall at Lincoln's Inn, London. The court aims to provide an alternative forum for dispute resolution for UK-based Sikhs involved in family and civil disputes, operating on a mediation-arbitration framework in tandem with the UK courts to alleviate backlogs and offer culturally informed judgments.
Key Members
- Chief Judge - Baldip Singh Aulak
- Chief Magistrate - Gurbani Kaur
- Family Lead Judge - Sharan Kaur
- Civil Lead Judge - Satvinder Singh Juss
- Fact Finding Inquiries Lead Judge - Harjap Singh Bhangal
Criticism
Pragna Patel of Southall Black Sisters, have criticised the creation of the court, saying that it is an example of a wider trend of conservative religious forces creating "parallel justice systems" occupying areas that were previously the concern of the secular state.{{Cite news |last=Patel |first=Pragna |date=2024-05-31 |title=The world is getting its first Sikh court in London. That's a threat to women's rights |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/may/31/the-world-is-getting-its-first-sikh-court-in-london-but-this-is-why-we-need-to-pay-close-attention-to-it |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Sanghi |first=Sanskriti |date=2024-05-20 |title=Joint Statement on the The[sic] Sikh Court |url=https://southallblacksisters.org.uk/news/joint-statement-on-the-the-sikh-court/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Southall Black Sisters |language=en-US}}
See Also
References
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External links
- {{official website|https://www.sikhcourt.co.uk/}}
{{UK-org-stub}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikh Court}}