It is one of a range of services (Islamic Sharia Council is another) for Muslims who wish to resolve disputes without recourse to the courts system.
[3] The tribunals were set up by lawyer Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi and operate in London, Bradford, Manchester, Birmingham and Nuneaton.
[4][dead link] The MAT operates under Section 1 of the Arbitration Act which states that: “the parties should be free to agree how their disputes are resolved, subject only to such safeguards as are necessary in the public interest”.
[4][dead link] The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal has no powers to grant a divorce which is valid in English and Welsh law.
Former MP Dominic Grieve has stated: “If it is true that these tribunals are passing binding decisions in the areas of family and criminal law, I would like to know which courts are enforcing them because I would consider such action unlawful.