32 ICSA TODAY 30
Jehovah’s Witnesses charity loses appeal against
Commission inquiry
In regard to recent court decisions concerning the UK Charity
Commission and the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, the
Commission spokesman said, “The Commission is pleased that
the court unanimously dismissed Watch Tower’s challenge
to the Commission’s decision to open an inquiry. This is a
significant decision allowing the Commission’s inquiry to
continue to progress. The challenge was dismissed because
the court accepted the Commission’s argument that the First-
tier Tribunal (Charity) was the correct place to hear Watch
Tower’s challenge to the inquiry opened by the Commission.
The Commission believes that the specialist Tribunal is the
right venue for such cases and is pleased that the Court of
Appeal has confirmed this. The Commission is disappointed
that the Court of Appeal found in favour of Watch Tower in one
respect, deciding that the challenge to the Commission’s order
seeking documents from the charity should be heard by the
Administrative Court rather than the Tribunal. This decision was
reached because of the specific wording of section 320 of the
Charities Act 2011, which limits the Tribunal’s jurisdiction to
hear challenges to such orders.” (Civil Society Media, 3/15/16)
Jury awards $100K to family of Jehovah’s Witness who died
after refusing blood transfusion
Miriam Anderson passed away at 27 after refusing to accept a
blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs. Anderson
gave birth to a baby at the Atlanta Medical Center in Georgia
and 10 days later experienced heavy vaginal bleeding. She
called 911 and medical personnel offered to take her to the
hospital, but she refused. Later that day, she called 911 again
and was taken to the ER. She was given an ultrasound and
several other tests. The ultrasound revealed that her uterus
contained “retained products of conception” following the
delivery of the baby. She was offered a blood transfusion to
save her life, and she refused because Jehovah’s Witnesses
do not believe in blood transfusions: “Both the Old and New
Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood (Genesis
9:4 Leviticus 17:10 Deuteronomy 12:23 Acts 15:28, 29).”
The attorney for the plaintiff family said the hospital could
have saved Anderson if it had acted sooner and applied its
bloodless medicine and surgery program. The attorney sued
the hospital and emergency-room (ER) doctor on behalf of
the plaintiff for medical malpractice, and the hospital for
negligent misrepresentation, among other charges. The ER
doctor was exonerated. The plaintiffs’ attorney “was gratified
that the jury found for his client on one of 10 claims: negligent
misrepresentation against the Atlanta Medical Center.” The jury
awarded $101,261 in damages. Attorneys on both sides agreed
that jurors laid most of the responsibility for Anderson’s death
on her decision to turn down a transfusion. “At the end of the
day, the jury obviously felt that she bore the responsibility
for her own death,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney. (Daily Report,
02/19/16)
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Brooklyn headquarters for sale
The sale of a Jehovah’s Witnesses complex totaling more than
733,000 square feet could bring in as much as $1 billion in a
sale to the highest bidder. “Over the last decade, the Jehovah’s
Witnesses have been slowly leaving Brooklyn, where they have
been based for more than a century. In a long-range plan to
relocate upstate, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the
group’s legal and publishing entity, has gradually been selling
off a real estate portfolio of nearly 40 properties in Brooklyn
Heights and Dumbo.” The organization has begun construction
of a new headquarters on a 253-acre plot in Warwick, New
York. (The New York Times, 1/29/16)
Jehovah's Witnesses “ordered destruction” of notes related
to child sexual-abuse inquiry
The UK’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has
told religious organizations to retain any documents that
might be useful to the investigation. Most organizations
appear to be complying. However, the investigators have seen
documents distributed to Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations
around the United Kingdom ordering the destruction of
“all agendas and minutes of elders’ meetings (other than
business meeting minutes),” “all personal notes taken at elders’
meetings (except those based on discussions of outlines from
‘the faithful and discreet slave’ and that do not mention any
particular individual),” and “any other personal records, notes,
or correspondence that refer to particular individuals.” The
Jehovah’s Witnesses organization says that “congregation
elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws and with the
data protection principles contained in the Data Protection Act
1998.” (Wales Online, 2/7/16)
Russia wants to persecute “sects,” steps up pressure on
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses have confronted legal problems in
Russia for many years. Many in the country view the religious
group as extremist, but the State Duma (the lower house of
parliament) has struggled with settling on “a legal concept of
‘sect’ that does not violate the Constitution. ..” On November
30, after 60 hearings and 10 months of trial, a court in Taganrog
(southern Russia) condemned 14 men and two women
Jehovah’s Witnesses for extremism. The convicted individuals
had continued to meet, pray, and read the Bible even after the
community was banned in the local area. The 16 convicted
persons said they will appeal what they consider “a dangerous
precedent for freedom of religion in Russia.” (AsiaNews.it,
12/16/15)
Sect leader slated for release from prison
Wayne Bent, the leader of the sect Lord Our Righteousness
Church, will soon be released from prison after serving 7
years. Bent was sent to prison for inappropriate acts with two
teenage girls in 2006. The District Attorney’s office says that
Bent should be released for proper medical care for his skin
cancer. Bent attorney John McCall said there was a chance that
a revised order for release could be worked out in time for a
Parole Board meeting in early February.
Update: Bent was released on supervised parole a few days
after the February 5, 2016, Parole Board meeting, once the
Jehovah’s Witnesses charity loses appeal against
Commission inquiry
In regard to recent court decisions concerning the UK Charity
Commission and the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, the
Commission spokesman said, “The Commission is pleased that
the court unanimously dismissed Watch Tower’s challenge
to the Commission’s decision to open an inquiry. This is a
significant decision allowing the Commission’s inquiry to
continue to progress. The challenge was dismissed because
the court accepted the Commission’s argument that the First-
tier Tribunal (Charity) was the correct place to hear Watch
Tower’s challenge to the inquiry opened by the Commission.
The Commission believes that the specialist Tribunal is the
right venue for such cases and is pleased that the Court of
Appeal has confirmed this. The Commission is disappointed
that the Court of Appeal found in favour of Watch Tower in one
respect, deciding that the challenge to the Commission’s order
seeking documents from the charity should be heard by the
Administrative Court rather than the Tribunal. This decision was
reached because of the specific wording of section 320 of the
Charities Act 2011, which limits the Tribunal’s jurisdiction to
hear challenges to such orders.” (Civil Society Media, 3/15/16)
Jury awards $100K to family of Jehovah’s Witness who died
after refusing blood transfusion
Miriam Anderson passed away at 27 after refusing to accept a
blood transfusion because of her religious beliefs. Anderson
gave birth to a baby at the Atlanta Medical Center in Georgia
and 10 days later experienced heavy vaginal bleeding. She
called 911 and medical personnel offered to take her to the
hospital, but she refused. Later that day, she called 911 again
and was taken to the ER. She was given an ultrasound and
several other tests. The ultrasound revealed that her uterus
contained “retained products of conception” following the
delivery of the baby. She was offered a blood transfusion to
save her life, and she refused because Jehovah’s Witnesses
do not believe in blood transfusions: “Both the Old and New
Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood (Genesis
9:4 Leviticus 17:10 Deuteronomy 12:23 Acts 15:28, 29).”
The attorney for the plaintiff family said the hospital could
have saved Anderson if it had acted sooner and applied its
bloodless medicine and surgery program. The attorney sued
the hospital and emergency-room (ER) doctor on behalf of
the plaintiff for medical malpractice, and the hospital for
negligent misrepresentation, among other charges. The ER
doctor was exonerated. The plaintiffs’ attorney “was gratified
that the jury found for his client on one of 10 claims: negligent
misrepresentation against the Atlanta Medical Center.” The jury
awarded $101,261 in damages. Attorneys on both sides agreed
that jurors laid most of the responsibility for Anderson’s death
on her decision to turn down a transfusion. “At the end of the
day, the jury obviously felt that she bore the responsibility
for her own death,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney. (Daily Report,
02/19/16)
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Brooklyn headquarters for sale
The sale of a Jehovah’s Witnesses complex totaling more than
733,000 square feet could bring in as much as $1 billion in a
sale to the highest bidder. “Over the last decade, the Jehovah’s
Witnesses have been slowly leaving Brooklyn, where they have
been based for more than a century. In a long-range plan to
relocate upstate, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the
group’s legal and publishing entity, has gradually been selling
off a real estate portfolio of nearly 40 properties in Brooklyn
Heights and Dumbo.” The organization has begun construction
of a new headquarters on a 253-acre plot in Warwick, New
York. (The New York Times, 1/29/16)
Jehovah's Witnesses “ordered destruction” of notes related
to child sexual-abuse inquiry
The UK’s independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has
told religious organizations to retain any documents that
might be useful to the investigation. Most organizations
appear to be complying. However, the investigators have seen
documents distributed to Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations
around the United Kingdom ordering the destruction of
“all agendas and minutes of elders’ meetings (other than
business meeting minutes),” “all personal notes taken at elders’
meetings (except those based on discussions of outlines from
‘the faithful and discreet slave’ and that do not mention any
particular individual),” and “any other personal records, notes,
or correspondence that refer to particular individuals.” The
Jehovah’s Witnesses organization says that “congregation
elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws and with the
data protection principles contained in the Data Protection Act
1998.” (Wales Online, 2/7/16)
Russia wants to persecute “sects,” steps up pressure on
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses have confronted legal problems in
Russia for many years. Many in the country view the religious
group as extremist, but the State Duma (the lower house of
parliament) has struggled with settling on “a legal concept of
‘sect’ that does not violate the Constitution. ..” On November
30, after 60 hearings and 10 months of trial, a court in Taganrog
(southern Russia) condemned 14 men and two women
Jehovah’s Witnesses for extremism. The convicted individuals
had continued to meet, pray, and read the Bible even after the
community was banned in the local area. The 16 convicted
persons said they will appeal what they consider “a dangerous
precedent for freedom of religion in Russia.” (AsiaNews.it,
12/16/15)
Sect leader slated for release from prison
Wayne Bent, the leader of the sect Lord Our Righteousness
Church, will soon be released from prison after serving 7
years. Bent was sent to prison for inappropriate acts with two
teenage girls in 2006. The District Attorney’s office says that
Bent should be released for proper medical care for his skin
cancer. Bent attorney John McCall said there was a chance that
a revised order for release could be worked out in time for a
Parole Board meeting in early February.
Update: Bent was released on supervised parole a few days
after the February 5, 2016, Parole Board meeting, once the
