IMHO we may be barking up a gum tree with this one Ian - much as it pains me to say it.
The reply from the CC makes clear that as long as the WTS is fulfilling its obligations to work within its charitable objects, then the CC have no interest (or resources probably) to pursue doctrinal or criminal matters. Or matters otherwise outside its jurisdiction ie France/Russia. So in other words the CC are there to ensure minimum standards are met and to administer the system, not to investigate, redefine and police the charitable objects of each and every charity.
In this case the stated objects being:
TO ADVANCE THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION AS PRACTISED BY THE BODY OF CHRISTIAN PERSONS KNOWN AS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BY:
(A) PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF GOD'S KINGDOM UNDER JESUS CHRIST UNTO ALL NATIONS AS A WITNESS TO THE NAME, WORD AND SUPREMACY OF ALMIGHTY GOD, JEHOVAH;
(B) PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING BIBLES AND OTHER RELIGIOUS LITERATURE IN ANY MEDIUM AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IN RESPECT THEREOF;
(C) PROMOTING RELIGIOUS WORSHIP;
(D) PROMOTING CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY WORK;
(E) ADVANCING RELIGIOUS EDUCATION;
(F) MAINTAINING ONE OR MORE RELIGIOUS ORDERS OR COMMUNITIES OF SPECIAL MINISTERS OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.
Which, again IMHO, they get a tick in all these boxes, whether we like it or not.
Perhaps another angle might be the 'public benefit' test which is being redefined in the Charities Act 2006.
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/enhancingcharities/pbconsult.asp#F
which states in part:
All charities must have charitable purposes which are for the public benefit. (A ‘purpose’ is the overall goal or aim of the charity which is usually set out in its governing document.) This is known as the ‘public benefit requirement’.
This requirement is reinforced by the Charities Act 2006 (‘the Charities Act’) which:
* includes a statutory definition that, to be a charity, an organisation must have purposes which:-
o fall within the descriptions of charitable purposes set out in the Act; and
o are for the public benefit;
* removes the presumption that currently exists that charities relieving poverty or advancing education or religion benefit the public;
* gives the Charity Commission a public benefit objective to promote awareness and understanding of the operation of the public benefit requirement;
* requires us to publish guidance to help meet our public benefit objective;
* requires us to carry out what consultation we consider necessary before issuing that guidance; and
* provides that charity trustees must have regard to guidance we publish on public benefit when they exercise any powers or duties where the guidance is relevant to them doing so.
The Charities Act does not define what is meant by ‘public benefit’; that remains governed by the existing law, which is based on decisions which have been made by the courts and the Charity Commission over the years. But the Act does remove the presumption that currently exists in charity law that organisations relieving poverty or advancing education or religion benefit the public. This means that, in future, all charities will have to demonstrate that their purposes benefit the public.
Again from my reading of this it won't be too onerous for the WTS to frame a public benefit statement that will keep the CC happy. For example the guidance on 'who are the public?' can be found further down on the same web page.
I think the most promising angle is in the anti-discrimination legislation. This would clearly be more persuasive if a case was brought by somebody within the WTS currently in good standing.
What we need is a sister with lesbian tendencies demanding to be made an elder.
Any volunteers? It is a charity after all :-)