… and, according to the NYT, it's manifestation is somewhat sexist. Apparently, the informal, non-binding shariah courts deal with divorce cases primarily (one representative quoted in the article estimates 99% of the cases are divorce proceedings) and have been operating for several years under the radar of ‘mainstream’ British society. There is considerable upset communicated between the lines in the article regarding the tendency to view women's claims of abuse as exaggerated or somehow not justifying divorce, and the preeminence given to male testimony. (In the article, the example woman brings in her father to plead her case, tipping the scales of ‘justice’ in her favor). It's upsetting, and it doesn't take a gender studies expert to see that it reflects prejudices against women. I would warn outlets reporting on this issue, though, to stay away from smug attitudes about how much better women have it in the West. Last I checked, domestic violence is equally as problematic among non-Muslims.