Court documents show an Islamic scholar and orator barred from the UK by the government is taking his battle to London’s Court of Appeal. Dr Zakir Naik lodged papers at London’s Court of Appeal in Appeal Court Reference no 2010/2913, against a High Court ruling and promised to take his fight for freedom of expression to Europe.
The appeal, due to be heard next year, could put the Home Secretary under severe pressure as one of the key aspects of his appeal is the fact that her ban was against the advice and wishes of Britain’s counter terrorism chief Charles Farr, claim Dr Naik’s lawyers.
Last month at London’s High Court, Justice Cranston granted Dr Naik a judicial review and declared three exclusion letters on June 16, 17 and 25 were “unlawful”.
However he decided a fourth attempt was legal despite accepting Dr Naik, who has hired a leading specialist solicitor Tayab Ali and two QCs from Cherie Booth’s Matrix Chambers, didn’t have a chance to respond to all of the issues raised in the final letter.
Dr Naik has now launched an appeal against the verdict saying the system should have been operated “properly and competently”.
Official Court papers filed by lawyers acting on behalf of Dr Naik, claim May failed to “properly consider, or state what she made of, or explain why she ultimately rejected the advice provided by skilled advisers relating to counter-terrorism.”
His lawyer Tayab Ali said: “Dr Naik will not stop until justice is done and he is allowed to exercise his right of freedom of expression.”