Australia:  Australian judge has ruled that a Muslim woman must remove her full veil while giving evidence before a jury in a fraud case.

The judge in Perth said she did not consider it appropriate that the witness appear with her face covered.

The prosecution said the woman - identified only as Tasneem - would feel uncomfortable without her niqab.

But the defence team argued the jury should be able to watch her facial expressions.

The prosecution argued that the 36-year-old woman, known by her first name, Tasneem, would feel uncomfortable.

Lawyers said it would affect the way she presented her evidence.

But the defence team argued that the jury should be able to see her face to help judge the veracity of what she was saying.

It also said it was common for women to appear in Islamic courts without the covering.

Judge Shauna Deane ruled the woman should remove the niqab, though stressed she was not making a decision which should stand as a legal precedent.

It was simply her ruling in these circumstances, she said.

The judge also rejected the comparison with jurisdictions elsewhere, saying they were irrelevant because this was an Australian and not an Islamic court.

The witness, who has lived in Australia for seven years, has worn the burqa since the age of 17. She only removes it in front of her family and male blood relatives.

BDST: 1035HRS, August 19, 2010