Practicing Law in Shariah Courts | A Valuable Resource

The American Bar Association has published a new resource that will be helpful for those lawyers practicing in locales with clients whose marriages have been contracted according to Shariah law. The book is titled Practicing Law in Shariah Courts: Seven Strategies for Achieving Justice in Shariah Courts. It describes the Shariah courts of Northern Nigeria, and offers advice for counsel practicing in Shariah courts worldwide, particularly in cases involving women. The author, Hauwa Ibrahim, is entering her fifth year at Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard Divinity School Ibrahim was a Radcliffe Fellow and was a jointly appointed Fellow to the Human Rights Program and the Islamic Legal Studies Program.

Ibrahim provides valuable insight into practicing law in Shariah courts, and answers some questions that arise from being on the field, and also from her experience of seeking justice under these laws both legally and spiritually. Ibrahim discusses the delicate and flexible boundary between the rule of law and individual interpretations of Shariah Law that may unjustifiably cause individual and social ills.

Although the discussion is shaped within the legal contour of Shariah law in Northern Nigeria, the strategies may be a valued resource to dealing with Shariah law in any cultural and legal system. Ibrahim’s purpose is to help lawyers craft a defense strategy that reflects the integrity of Shariah,  upholds the values of the community, and reflects a more just result.

This book addresses the codification of Shariah Lawfrom 2000 to 2003 and also the latest of the amendments to Shariah Law known to the author.

More information and the means to order the book are found on the ABA website here.