A federal appeals court has ruled as unconstitutional Oklahoma’s ban on judges considering Islamic law in deciding cases.

The law to prevent Shariah from being used in the state was struck down Jan. 10 by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Oklahoma voters had approved the ban in 2010, but a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against it last year before it could take effect.

The appeals court judges said in their opinion that the ban violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause.

No Oklahoma court has ever applied Shariah law to an opinion, according to reports. Legal experts say that banning Shariah law is superfluous, as no foreign criminal or civil code can trump U.S. laws.

Jewish groups opposing the law include the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union. Jewish law, or halachah, has been considered in U.S. courts in deciding cases. — jta