Perhaps helpful as analogy:
Canon law (Wikipedia) is the body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (Church leadership), for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law, or operational policy, governing the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches), the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the individual national churches within the Anglican Communion.[1] The way that such church law is legislated, interpreted and at times adjudicated varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was originally a rule adopted by a church council; these canons formed the foundation of canon law.
Likewise members of the JW local organisations are treated according to ecclesiastial law, authority and jurisdiction. In this Jehovahs Witnesses' "canon law" they have to follow the rules and policy of the governing body and the Russian branch office, which is the ecclesiastical authority.
This JW-own "canon law" and its jurisdiction - rights and responsibilites - are therefore different from the rights and responsibiliites of the legal registered MPOs mentioned in the hearing.
Although there might be no legal connection according to Civil right between the branch office and the local congregation and they are founded idependently, and members are not obliged to report each other, there is a absolute canonic responsibiliity to report anything, the money, the hours of service, the sins, child abuse to the branch office, to follow the ecclesiasticl instructions of the branch office.
The branch office even appoints the overseers of the local congregations. There is no democratic process of idependent congregations. Here is existant an absolute canon law of a the JW-church that says, the local congregation has to report to the headquarter. The central office decides also about selling of assets.
The "ecclesiastical authorities" in the local congregation, the elders, are very much depending on the decision of the "branch office" and are deciding few things indepentently. E.g. in cases of child abuse it is the elders duty to contact the legal desk of the "branch office".
These instructions are regulated in a guide "Shepherding the flock", which are part of the "canonic law" of JW together with letters by the branch or GB of JW, which has to be obeyed absolutely.
