'Purity' ring case taken to High Court

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

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Lydia Playfoot, a 16 year old schoolgirl from West Sussex, England, has been faced with expulsion by her school, Millais School of Horsham, for wearing a purity ring that symbolises her dedication to chastity.

Her case, that she should be allowed to wear the ring as it is an "expression of [her] faith and should be exempt from the school's rules on wearing jewelery", was taken to the High Court on Friday. Judgement in the case was reserved for a future date.

This case echoes a decision in a case last year. The Law Lords rejected Shabina Begum's, former pupil of Denbigh High School, in Luton, Bedfordshire, appeal to wear a Muslim Jilbab to school.

Miss Playfoot spoke to BBC Radio regarding the case. She said "Muslims are allowed to wear headscarves and other faiths can wear bangles and other types of jewellery. It feels like Christians are being discriminated against." Her lawyers have argued that her right to wear the ring as a symbol of faith is upheld by the Human Rights Act 1998

Sources

• ""Purity ring" schoolgirl goes to High Court". Reuters, June 22, 2007
• Ros Atkins "Do purity rings belong at school?". BBC News Have Your Say, June 22, 2007
• "'Purity' ring case in High Court". BBC News Online, June 22, 2007
  

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