CONTROVERSIAL Government plans to review Sharia law appear to be on the backburner, provoking a mixed reaction from MPs.

Keighley's MP, Kris Hopkins, said he felt there was no place in this country for Sharia law.

Just two months ago, Home Secretary Theresa May demanded an inquiry, as part of a crackdown on extremism “in all its forms”.

In a high-profile speech, Ms May claimed Sharia law was being used to “discriminate against women” and was becoming more widespread.

And she said: “There is evidence of women being ‘divorced’ under Sharia law and left in penury, wives who are forced to return to abusive relationships because Sharia councils say a husband has a right to ‘chastise’, and Sharia councils giving the testimony of a woman only half the weight of the testimony of a man.”

But the review was not mentioned in the Extremism Bill, put forward in last week's Queen’s Speech for the next parliamentary session, prompting suggestions it had been shelved.

Instead, the legislation focuses on banning orders for extremist organisations that use hate speech in public places and powers to close premises where extremists seek to influence others.

Mr Hopkins, a Government whip, said: “I don’t think there is a place for Sharia law in this country. That’s what I believe is right. I can respect different judicial systems in other countries, but in Britain we have one judicial system – and that’s the one I recognise.”

In a Commons debate last year, Mr Hopkins urged Prime Minister David Cameron to rule out any sponsoring of Sharia courts, following controversy over talks in Bradford.

The Bradford Council of Mosques was in talks to start up a local Sharia panel that would offer advice and deal with legal issues within the Muslim community.

It called for Sharia councils to be better resourced and recognised by the Government, but insisted the move would not create “a parallel competing court structure”.

A Home Office spokesman said the Extremism Bill was just “one element” of a wider strategy on tackling extremism to be published shortly.

But he added: “I’m not in a position to see whether a review of Sharia law will be one of the measures in that strategy."