The Sikh Court

Alternative dispute resolution body for Sikhs in the United Kingdom

The Sikh Court

Established| April 2024
Jurisdiction| England and Wales
Authorised by| Arbitration Act 1996
Website| www.sikhcourt.co.uk
Chief Judge
Currently| Baldip Singh
Chief Magistrate
Currently| Gurbani Kaur

The Sikh Court is a legal organization set up in the United Kingdom in 2024 by a group of Sikh lawyers. It is intended to act as an alternative dispute resolution body for disputes within the British Sikh community.[1]

In spite of its name, the founders have stated that it is not a religious tribunal, and participation in its processes is voluntary.[2][3] The court has 46 members, who were sworn in in April 2024.[4]

## History

[edit]

In April 2024, the world's first Sikh court was established by Sikh lawyers in the 15th-century Old Hall at Lincoln's Inn, London. The court aims to provide an alternative forum for dispute resolution for UK-based Sikhs involved in family and civil disputes, operating on a mediation-arbitration framework in tandem with the UK courts to alleviate backlogs and offer culturally informed judgments.[1]

## Key Members

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* Chief Judge - Baldip Singh Aulak
* Chief Magistrate \- Gurbani Kaur
* Family Lead Judge - Sharan Kaur
* Civil Lead Judge - Satvinder Singh Juss
* Fact Finding Inquiries Lead Judge - Harjap Singh Bhangal

## Criticism

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Pragna Patel of Southall Black Sisters, have criticised the creation of the court, saying that it is an example of a wider trend of conservative religious forces creating "parallel justice systems" occupying areas that were previously the concern of the secular state.[5][6]

## See Also

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* Sikhism in the United Kingdom

## References

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1. ^ a b "The world's first Sikh court opens in London - Religion Media Centre". religionmediacentre.org.uk. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
2. ^ "UK Gets First 'Sikh Court' To Deal With Family Disputes: Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
3. ^ "London gets world's first Sikh court for family dispute resolution". India Today. 2024-05-02. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
4. ^ "The world's first Sikh court opens in London: How will it work?". Firstpost. 2024-04-26. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
5. ^ Patel, Pragna (2024-05-31). "The world is getting its first Sikh court in London. That's a threat to women's rights". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
6. ^ Sanghi, Sanskriti (2024-05-20). "Joint Statement on the The[sic] Sikh Court". Southall Black Sisters. Retrieved 2024-06-01.

## External links

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* Official website

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