British JW sues Watchtower Society

by Amazing 10 Replies latest jw friends

  • Amazing
    Amazing

    This case is about a British JW, on behalf of Jehovah's Witnesses at large, sued the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. This case goes base to 1997, but is interesting in that the British JW man alleged 'defamation of character' against the WTS. He sued over an article appearing in the Watchtower magazine. He lost in the British High Court. BUT ... the fact that an active JW man would sue the Society, and also attempt to represent Jehovah's Witnesses at large is most interesting, and demonstrates to me that all is not well in paradise. Here is the link to the case heard before the British High Court:

    http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bailii/disp.pl/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1997/2895.html?query=%7e+watchtower+or+jehovah+s+witnesse Amazing

    Edit/PS: Here is the key issue: "6. The plaintiff's writ had been issued on 3 January l996 seeking damages for slander, libel, defamation of character, deception, fraud and negligence said to have occurred since 1993. The claim was pitched at £300 million. The Statement of Claim runs to a great many paragraphs, but in the course of the hearing before Kennedy J, the applicant indicated that the substance of the claim was to be found in paragraph 7 which reads:

    "Comments in the December 1st issue of the Watch Tower magazine published earthwide, make assertions that the opposers of their society, in ´Legal Battles´, are linked with ´Satan and his Demons´ and also are responsible for doing all they can to thwart the efforts of God's faithful servants or make problems for them and such comments do by extension link myself with ´Satan and his Demons´ as one involved in ´legal battles´ with the society WBTS."

  • Fredhall
    Fredhall

    Amazing,

    Behalf on JW's at large! How many? Was it four?

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus

    If you think about it, a large amount of the Tower's literary output is devoted to defamation and slander. Not just of outsiders. What about all the articles which put the burden of the org's failure back on the R&F - they're not trying hard enough, reading enough, etc?

  • Mum
    Mum

    If they win the lawsuit, I hope they will buy Beth Sarim so we can make it into a museum.

  • Amazing
    Amazing

    Hi Mum: The JW man already lost in British High Court. But the fact that an active JW would persue this issue as far as he did is fascinating in itself. And, he may have laid the groundwork for other JWs to follow up with improved suits based on lessons learned. It will be interesting. - Amazing

  • Grout
    Grout

    I'm not surprised he lost. For historical reasons, many things a religion does are protected just because they're a religion.

    Reminds me of the legal doctrine that a legislator can say things in debate that normally would be considered slander and not be liable, because of the legal assumption that anything said in debate is political speech and therefore must be protected.

    I don't think very highly of these legal doctrines, but I can see their utility in the maintenance of a free society.

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus

    The word you're looking for is "privilege", Grout.

  • Grout
    Grout

    Stephanus: Is 'privilege' the legal term, or your description?

  • Amazing
    Amazing

    Hi Grout: You make very good points about the twist and turns in the legal world. One thing that adds silver lining to the clouds: Once a case is tried and lost, "if" it has some merit, then it will be tried and tried again and again until one day a High or Supreme Court upholds a decision by a planintif, and then case law is established.

    A good example are the nearly 30 years of lawsuits against the tobacco companies by those who became ill with lung cancer, or if they died, the lawsuits by their heirs. Case after case was lost for year after year ... but then one day, a case was won, and then more were won, and then the States sued, and then the Federal Government jumped on the bandwagon, and the Tobacco companies had to cough up over $300 Billion. And the lawsuits are still be filed. So, one day, the Watch Tower Society will lose the Big one, and they will be tamed into a run-of-the-mill little mainline church just like the World Wide Church of God. Thanks again for the good points. - Amazing

  • ISP
    ISP

    I think it is difficult to hit the WTS this way. It is very doubtful that anyone reading the articles would link them to the claimant. I think a better action lies against the elder(s) personally who announce or have talks insinuating the same at the hall. Taped talks have a use!

    ISP

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