NETHERLANDS: Judge says Raids on Jehovah’s Witnesses were lawful
The raid by justice in 2018 of church buildings and elders’ homes of the Jehovah’s Witnesses were lawful and necessary for the police investigation. The court in Zwolle ruled that on Friday. Originally published in Dutch in De Telegraaf on 8 May 2020 In the context of an investigation into alleged sexual abuse among the […]
NETHERLANDS: Elders of Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot invoke the right of non-disclosure in sexual abuse case
Elders of Jehovah’s Witnesses from the Northern Netherlands cannot invoke their right of non-disclosure as clergy in the criminal investigation of sexual abuse by a Jehovah’s member from Assen. That was determined by the court in Zwolle on Friday. Originally published in Dutch by Danielle Molenaar on Dagblad van het Noorden on May 8, 2020 […]
NETHERLANDS: No right of nondisclosure for Jehovah’s Witness elders
There is no right of nondisclosure for elders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who are members of a judicial committee of that community. They are not spiritual counselors during those sessions. This is the opinion of the court in Overijssel, Netherlands, in their case ruling in which the Jehovah’s Witnesses and five elders objected to the […]
Polidoro: From a Pedestal into a Trash Can?
Paul Polidoro is a lawyer based in Patterson New York, on a compound owned and operated by Jehovah’s Witnesses. He legally represents his religious group’s entities in various cases. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton is probably his most famous case. In that United States Supreme Court win […]
SWEDEN: The High Court has decided on Jehovah’s films
The Svea Court of Appeals upholds the district court’s ruling against a church leader, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who was convicted of showing films not reviewed by the State Media Council for Children at the Stockholm International Fair 2018. Originally published on svt Nyheter on Friday 14 February 2020 The church leader was convicted in […]
SWITZERLAND: Zurich District Court Acquits Cult Specialist
Jehovah’s Witnesses had reported the woman for criticizing them in the media. The judge dismissed the charges. Originally published in Tages Anzeiger on July 9, 2019. On Tuesday, the district court of Zurich acquitted a former employee of the cult advisory board Infosekta of allegations of multiple counts of defamation. It appears they were made […]
General Data Protection Regulation
On May 13, 2019, the Jehovah’s Witness leaders released a letter addressed to all congregations in countries that comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They are directing those members not to collect personal data in connection with their field ministry. This change in policy is massive as it affects some 1.3 million members. […]
Philip Brumley: Haled Before Kings
In 1991, Philip Brumley gave a talk entitled ‘Haled Before Kings’. In it he detailed some of Watch Tower’s notable Supreme Court case wins in the 1930s and 1940’s. He also discussed their trials relating to child custody, blood transfusions and dealing with so-called apostates. He also described some of the developments in Africa and […]
‘Parallel legal community’ at odds with religious freedom
Originally published on Danish Media, TV2 by Jonas HR Moestrup The recognized religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses has an internal set of rules where religious leaders can judge on everything from smoking to killing. In Denmark, there are 173 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses, each led by a religious body – a so-called Body of Elders. […]