Wyoming judges wouldn’t be allowed to consider Islamic law or international law when making rulings, under a proposed state constitutional amendment introduced this week.
To date, no Wyoming court rulings have been based on Islamic law, or Shariah. But state Rep. Gerald Gay, R-Casper, said his proposed constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 8, is meant as a “pre-emptive strike” to ensure judges don’t rely on Shariah in cases involving, for example, arranged marriages, “honor killings” or usury cases.
Gay said while he didn’t expect the proposed amendment to pass this year, he predicted support for the proposal would increase in future years.
Last year, Oklahoma passed a constitutional amendment banning state courts from considering or using international law or Shariah law. But a federal judge subsequently blocked that amendment on the grounds that it “fosters an excessive government entanglement with religion.”