In an article headlined ‘Landmark ruling sees British court recognise sharia law for the first time as judge rules wife married in Islamic ceremony can make claim on husband's assets under UK law’, published on 2 August 2018, we reported on a High Court judgment, which concerned a divorce petition submitted by a wife against her husband. The couple had undertaken the Islamic law marriage ceremony, the Nikah.

The article had claimed that a UK court had said that the couple’s marriage was ‘valid and recognised’; it said that ‘before the landmark decision, the courts did not recognise [Nikah ceremonies] as a valid marriage’. In fact, the court found the marriage to be void under section 11 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 due to it having been ‘entered into in disregard of certain requirements as to the formation of marriage’ and specifically not ‘valid’. This means that, while the wife was entitled to a decree of nullity, thereby enabling her to seek relief which could potentially include a division of assets or maintenance, this was not because the marriage was found to be a ‘valid’ marriage under UK law. This correction has been published following an upheld ruling by the Independent Press Standards Organisation.