McGuinty government rules out use of sharia law
Seeking to end months of debate, Premier Dalton McGuinty now says “there will be no sharia law in Ontario” — an announcement that should quell a growing public-relations crisis concerning the use of Islamic law, but which also exposes Queen’s Park to attacks from other religions.
Following widespread condemnation of a plan that would formally allow the tenets of sharia to be used in resolving family disputes, the Premier said he’ll make the boundaries between church and state clearer by banning faith-based arbitrations.
Ontario explicitly gave the green light to such practices in its 1991 Arbitration Act. But as early as this fall, new Ontario laws may put a stop to religion-based settlements in matters such as child-custody disputes or inheritances.
The Globe and Mail: McGuinty government rules out use of sharia law