Islam and English law

This paper attempts to delve behind the headlines and beyond the hysteria following a lecture on the relationship between Islam and English law by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 7th February 2008. Whilst the Archbishop's lecture was very theoretical, this article is much more practical. Indeed, whereas his lecture was subtitled 'A Religious Perspective', this article may be subtitled 'A Legal Perspective'. It seeks to discuss the current legal position, not only to undermine the hullabaloo which has existed over the last two years, but also so that we can move forward. Its thesis is that before any changes are made in any direction, we need to understand the current position as it is in the law books and as it is interpreted and used on the ground