TORONTO (AP) — A female witness can wear a religious veil that covers her face while testifying in court in certain circumstances, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday in a split decision in a landmark case that pitted religious freedom against an accused person’s right to a fair trial.

The case involved a Muslim woman who sought to wear the veil known as a niqab, which leaves only the eyes exposed, while testifying against her uncle and a cousin whom she claims sexually assaulted her when she was a child.