"However I wont hold my breath that justice
will be done here .Religion still has a big influence to many people
,politicians and the judiciary dont want to get offside with the voters
.Even though they may be well aware J.W.`s do not vote or take part in
politics other religions certainly do.And they do not want to offend them .
smiddy"
Well, I'm a little more optimistic (here in UK). JWs - in my estimation - are generally an unknown irrelevance and I'd be surprised whether any politicians give them a thought (even if they've vaguely heard of them). And although I'm a wizened old cynic, our (non-elected) judiciary have consistently been independent. I don't think anyone is bothered about offending such a minor inconsequential group.
We don't have a RC ongoing, of course, but we DO have a Charity Commission investigation ongoing, and the present parliamentary enquiry into the Kids Company charity fiasco indicates that (however belatedly) things can come to light.
I spent a lot of my professional career in courts dealing with judges and senior lawyers. Its a different world, full of understatement and courtesy. Only once did I ever see a barrister have to apologise to a court in the terms that the WT lawyer did to the ARC. Translated, it means 'my shitbag of a client has lied to me (beyond the normal boundaries that many of them do) and I want nothing to do with it'. The clients concerned were the head JW in Australia and Jackson of the GB. That did not go down well at all.
Add to that that WT Oz was offered (several times) polite opportunities to agree that they might consider amending their policies (other organisations were eager and happy to do so), that they might consider joining a redress scheme (other organisations were happy and eager to do so), and what was their response? Fiddling and farting, quoting old bible bits that HHJ was able to blow out of the water easily
WT was left looking like a joke - but a dangerous one because child and other abuse is involved. I can only guess that in Oz this subject is now taken as seriously as it here is (now) in the UK. I can accept that in the US, the religious aspect may have a bearing but I don;t think it does in Oz or UK. (Would Jackson even have been subpoenaed in the US, I ask myself, or would the whacky religion rules have prevailed?)
I would love to have been a fly on the wall when HHJ and Angus were having a cup of tea together after the WT evidence!