Using privacy laws to get your DF records

by Konrad West 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  Konrad West

  I was wondering if anyone has used their country's privacy laws to obtain copies of their disfellowshipping, and publisher records from the WT Society (and perhaps get them destroyed too. The records, not the WTS!).
  
  I'm in Australia, and the law says (according to my research), that they do need to provide you with a copy upon request. I've adapted a template from the CIA FoI site to read:
  
  

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  
  Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and National Privacy Principles 5 and 6, please furnish me with copies of all records about me.
  
  To help identify information about me in your record systems, I am providing the following information:
  
  Full name: XX
  Date of birth: XX
  Congregation: XX
  
  If you deny all or any part of this request, as per National Privacy Principle 6.7, please cite each specific exemption that forms the basis of your refusal to release the information.
  
  If you have any questions about handling this request, you may telephone me on XXXX.

  
  
  Any suggestions/experiences?
  
  PS: Why no preview function for posts?
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  hillbilly

  I am sure the BOE will send something, if forced by law. I doubt you would ever get the whole package. Besides, the official stuff will be pretty boring anyway. All the good stuff is in elder's notes or off- the- record.

  I have to ask WHY? Unless you need or want back in those records wont be much good to anyone. Even if you want in the Appeal is more about how much crying and sucking up on is willing to do ---rather than a legal defense based on the record.

  Welcome!

  ~Hill
• 

  sass_my_frass

  I'd say the cult's lawyers would work out a way of getting them out of following the law; when was the last time they paid tax?
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  Konrad West

  Well, from my reading of the Privacy Act and the info from the Privacy Commissioner, organisations have to destroy records they no longer need. They have information about me that is no longer necessary for them to have (such as the minutes of my earlier JC meetings), and since they are an evil cult ;) I don't want them to have it.
• 

  ozziepost

  Welcome aboard Konrad!

  It's great to have another New South Welshmen here!

  Re the privacy request, you may know that many years ago the BOE received a letter from the branch detailing new procedures for keeping records. Each member of a JC was instructed that if they made notes during a "case" they should hand these over to the chairman of the JC who was instructed to either destroy or to seal them up in the file/envelope containg the record of the DFing.

  It was my practice too to keep the CPRC in that envelope so that all records were in one place.

  Further all BOE have been instructed to detroy all such records when there is a Privacy Law request and to respond that there (truthfully) are no records. This matter was exposed on the "Sunday" program.

  To my knowledge there has never been mention made of what happens to the DF form that's kept at the branch office.
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  Elsewhere

  Write a letter to your old congregation pretending to the the Service Overseer in a new congregation where you "just moved to". Ask for them to forward your records just sit and wait for them to arrive.

  I've seen several people do this successfully.
• 

  DigitalFokus

  Write a letter to your old congregation pretending to the the Service Overseer in a new congregation where you "just moved to". ; Ask for them to forward your records just sit and wait for them to arrive.

  I've seen several people do this successfully.

  Would someone be intrested in writing a letter like this for me?

  If i were to write a letter like that it would prolly sound like this.

  Dear bros,

  um, we gots this new dude who is df'd but he is starting to come to meetings (we have hot sisters here ;)) and being the CO i need all the damn info you have on the mofo. please send it or i will be forced to do somfin bad.

  i gotta higher rank that you foo, so listen up.

  A CO

  Brother Dick.

  df
• 

  jwfacts

  Welcome Konrad,
  
  I recently sent a request to the Aus Bethel for my records. The response was:
  "Please be advised that we are not prepared to release any confidential information that may be held by the Society or other bodies mentioned in your letter. We also advise that none of the bodies you mention in your letter are organisations under section 6C the Privacy Act 1988 and therefore do not come within the Act.
  Yours faithfully,
  Watchtower B.&T. Society of Australia"
  
  I rang and have written to the Privacy Commission and they are looking into it. They can not see why the Society claims not to be under the Act, unless of course they have purposefully set up some complex corporate arrangement to get around it. Unfortunately the Privacy Commission said it will likely take 6 months for them to resolve the issue.