Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams triggered a storm
of protest when he suggested that some accommodation between
British law and Islam’s shariqa law was ‘inevitable’. His foundational
lecture introduced a series of public discussions on Islam and English
Law at the Royal Courts of Justice and the Temple Church in
London. This volume combines developed versions of these discussions
with new contributions. Theologians, lawyers and sociologists
look back on developments since the Archbishop spoke, and forwards
along trajectories opened by the historic lecture. The contributors
provide and advocate a forward-looking dialogue, asking how the
rights of all citizens are to be honoured and their responsibilities
met. Twenty-one specialists explore the evolution of English law;
the implications of Islam, shariqa and jihad; and the principles of the
European Convention on Human Rights, family law and freedom of
speech. This book is for anyone interested in the interaction between
religion and secular society.