More powers needed for veil ID: Scipione

SYDNEY (AAP) - June 28 - Police need stronger powers to identify women who wear full facial veils, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.
It follows the case of Sydney woman Carnita Matthews, who in November 2010 was sentenced to six months in jail for falsely accusing a police officer of forcibly trying to remove her burqa.
The case arose after Ms Matthews was pulled over while driving in Woodbine in June 2010.
However, the sentence was quashed on appeal last week after NSW District Court judge Clive Jeffreys ruled there was no evidence to confirm Ms Matthews filed a criminal complaint against the officer, because the person who did so was also wearing a veil and wasn't positively identified.
Mr Scipione met with Police Minister Mike Gallacher on Tuesday to discuss the issue and said afterwards that the case raised "real concerns" for police officers.
"The minister and I are in total agreement that we need to take action to close this potential loophole and strengthen police powers to demand identification where necessary," Mr Scipione said in a statement.
"We are working together to fix this issue and legislative change may be the answer."
Mr Scipione and Mr Gallacher are now awaiting publication of Judge Jeffreys' deliberations and will review the reasons behind his ruling before deciding on a course of action.
Judge Jeffreys formally quashed Ms Matthews sentence on June 22, saying he was unable to conclude beyond reasonable doubt that the person who made the formal complaint at Campbelltown police station was Ms Matthews.
A day after the ruling Mr Gallacher foreshadowed possible changes to the law, including fingerprinting women who filed criminal complaints while wearing veils.
The data would later be destroyed upon request, he added.
Police currently have the power to ask women to remove face veils during the investigation of serious offences but do not have such powers during routine car stops.