Australian judge orders Muslim witness to remove burqa

Perth: A judge in Australia has ruled that a Muslim witness in a fraud trial must remove her all-covering burqa while giving evidence in court.

Western Australia District Court Judge Shauna Deane said Thursday that it would be inappropriate for the prosecution witness to give evidence with her face covered.

Defense lawyers had argued that the jury would find it hard to assess her testimony if they couldn't read her facial expressions.

But a prosecutor told the court the woman would be so uncomfortable without the garment that it could affect her testimony.

The judge stressed that her decision applied only to this case and wasn't setting a precedent.