It is not required of a female judge, neither that she shakes hands with her male colleagues, nor that she shows her hair, says the president of the Danish Supreme Court. The Danish PM, Mr. Fogh Rasmussen agreed that open mindedness should include women with headscarves, an article published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on June 5 carried.
It would be beneficial for the integration and for society in general, if more immigrants become judges and barristers. This includes believing Muslim women, who wear the headscarf for religious reasons. Such is the assertion of the president of the Danish Supreme Court, Mr. Torben Melchior.
“We need them as judges and barristers. It would benefit integration and our legal system. Judges and lawyers must be recruited from the population as a whole, in order to assure that all backgrounds and points of view are represented,” the article said.
His statement chimed with the theme for June 5 celebration of Constitution Day, when PM Fogh Rasmussen appealed to the Danes to show greater open mindedness, and to tolerate the headscarf.
Mr. Melchior does not see the headscarf as a violation of the current dress code for judges, nor does he perceive it as problematic if a female judge refuses to shake hands with her colleagues.
“It is irrelevant if a judge refuses to shake hands for religious reason or not, as it is irrelevant whether she is red-haired or not. If a woman has the required qualifications, such a refusal should not disqualify her from exercising her authority as a judge,” says Torben Melchior.
What is relevant is if she is qualified to do the job, Mr. Melchior stressed.