Decisions made under Islamic sharia law can be accepted by English and Welsh family courts, a British government minister has confirmed

Sharia, a set of principles governing the way many Muslims believe they should live, is not legally binding. But rulings passed on separating couples by a sharia council can be rubber stamped by the courts, said justice minister Bridget Prentice. Conservatives argue that parallel legal systems have no place in Britain. Critics fear women could be disadvantaged by sharia processes, which they say traditionally favor men. Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said: "There can be no place for parallel legal systems in our country. It is right that agreements decided privately in family cases must be authorised by a judge applying English law if they are to have any legal effect. It is vital that in matrimonial disputes where a sharia council is involved, women's rights are protected and judgments are non-binding." Controversy over sharia law flared in February 2008 when the Archbishop of Canterbury claimed the adoption of some aspects of Islamic sharia law in Britain seemed unavoidable.