Excerpt:
Should a Muslim woman remove a face-covering veil when she testifies in court? That is the issue confronting some judges in Western democratic societies.
In a Canadian criminal case that resumed earlier this month, a legal struggle spanned five years when a Muslim woman refused to remove her Niqab or face-covering veil while testifying in front of the men she accused of assault.
Notably, many faith conscious Muslim women believe they must cover their body - except the face and hands - whenever in the presence of men who are not their relatives. This commonly encompasses a headscarf and is referred to as Hijab. A minority believes they must also cover their face except the eyes. These women are commonly described as wearing Niqab.