There are many ideas about Shari'a law in our society. People who want to spread Islamophobia point out the amputation of hands for theft or stoning for adultery, trying to paint this as the normality of Shari'a law. This is of course the Shari'a version of ISIS and other fundamentalist terrorists, but as an element of statehood it cannot prevail, as The Judge will show very clearly.

Australia has several court systems. Among them the Criminal Court handles indictable offences, while the Family Court handles matters of family disputes such as divorce, domestic violence, custody of children etc. In Palestine the same system applies, but while the Criminal Court system is based on rules and regulations and a prison system similar to our own, the Family Court is based on Shari'a law.

It is in the area of Sharia family law that women can be disadvan­taged in several respects, particularly in inheritance and in custody cases. The documentary The Judge shows how a determined and strong woman can work against traditional biases and serve justice in family disputes that takes the rights of all parties into equal consideration.

But the movie is not restricted to the courtroom. It paints a living portrait of everyday life in the occupied territories away from the cameras of the news channels.