Fla. limits influence of foreign laws

The head of a pro-family organization in Florida is pleased Governor Rick Scott has signed a bill that will keep sharia law out of that state's courtrooms.

On Monday Scott signed the legislation titled "Application of Foreign Law in Courts" (SB 386), which prohibits Florida courts from considering some provisions of sharia and other foreign laws. The full Senate amended SB 386 and voted 24-14 (on April 28) to approve the new language. The House then voted 78-40 in favor of the amended Senate version two days later.

The legislative action, which does not single out specific religions, makes Florida the eighth state to prohibit state courts from considering foreign laws.

David Caton, president of the Florida Family Association, applauds the governor's timely actions. "I'm very pleased that Governor Scott has supported this legislation for the past four years that it's been in the legislature," the pro-family leader tells OneNewsNow. "We're very proud that he was quick and decisive and signed the legislation within days."

According to The Associated Press, the law prohibits judges from applying foreign laws in cases involving family law, including divorce, alimony, child support, and child custody – and prevents some judgments from foreign courts to be considered in state courts.

Caton says the bill is important because of the large Muslim population in Florida. "And it will be an issue as more and more cases make their way through the courts," he explains.

"Some may or may not remember Judge Neilson in Tampa several years ago cited sharia law in one of his rulings, [saying] litigation regarding a particular case would be performed under sharia law."

Caton says the new law will have greater significance as the Muslim population in Florida continues to grow.