Call for sharia law rejected

The Archbishop of Canterbury's call for aspects of sharia law to be adopted in Britain have been widely condemned by politicians.

Dr Rowan Williams argued for a "plural jurisdiction" that would allow Muslims to choose whether some disputes were resolved in secular or Islamic courts.

The peer and head of the Church of England stressed the importance of making all communities "part of the public process".

"It seems unavoidable and, as a matter of fact, certain conditions of sharia are already recognised in our society," he claimed.

However the prime minister's spokesman said that British law must be based on British values.

"Sharia cannot be used as a justification for committing breaches of English law, nor should the principles of sharia be included in a civil court for resolving contractual disputes," he said.

Culture secretary Andy Burnham also said such moves would create "social chaos."

And Home Office minister Tony McNulty added that: "To ask us to fundamentally change the rule of law and to adopt sharia law, I think, is fundamentally wrong."

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats also rejected the suggestion.

Shadow community cohesion minister Baroness Warsi said: "Dr Williams seems to be suggesting that there should be two systems of law, running alongside each other, almost parallel, and for people to be offered the choice of opting into one or the other. That is unacceptable."

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he had "an enormous amount of respect" for Dr Williams.

But he argued that: "Equality before the law is part of the glue that binds our society together.

"We cannot have a situation where there is one law for one person and different laws for another."