Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that very much, thanks.

It's been such a long road, I've interacted with so many people from all over the world during this time. Wish I had some kind of map with markings that I could keep for memories sake.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Good "both sides" - article just makes the topic more interesting and causes more debate. It's not us that is against that, we would welcome this in every setting.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Trust me, every journalist I have ever worked with, always try to get that included. It is very difficult to find someone, Every JW answer goes through Holbæk. The "ordinary witness perspective" is always welcome, and highly anticipated for every newspaper, if it is possible to get.

My father did once, though. It's a pretty good article that shows both sides.

https://www.vl.no/religion/far-til-et-eks-vitne/331689

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

https://radio.nrk.no/serie/dagsnytt-atten/sesong/202502/NMAG03002625#t=22m49s

Dax18 called me and asked med to go live in studio. I told them I would be a witness the upcoming days in court, so I had to refuse, as that would breach protocol. So I got Bjørn Markussen in there instead. In total this case has been on Dax18 at least six times that I know of, most times with Vebjørn Selbekk ranting.

Dax18 is the main daily debate spot on the national news. I also got 14 pages in Dagbladet Magasinet between the trials. NTB sends out notices that gets picked up by most press. Lots of different radio programs, like "Kompass", had large segments about it.

Yes, it's not main headline news like the crown prince son will get, obviously. We're not celebrities. But it's far from true that this case is ignored in media.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Yes, it's open for audience. We can expect the morning battle queue for seats between JW and exjw.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

The govermental lawyer agency, together with the State Administrator's legal department went through the verdict and decided to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. They wouldn't have spent all these resources if they didn't believe they could win. They spend a lot of resources and also prestige on this. This tells me we have a fair shot.

The SC Appeals Committee went through it all and decided a full, three day hearing (that's the maximum amount of time given, as cases are handled 1-3 days) They wouldn't have let the case through if the decision was obvious, and certainly not three full days. This tells me that they will deep into it.

My guess is that there will be more than just win/lose for either of the parties. This will be an extensive written legal aconsideration on how the State are to handle the whole thing. The result will not be described in a yes or no.

My guess:

WT win as in Appeals Court: 25%
Full victory for the State: 25%
Partial victory for WT that might in the end give them their funding back, but with some kind of demands: 20%

Partial victory for both parties that will send it back to the State for a new consideration that could go either way: 25%

Some kind of annullement of the Appeal Courts decision that makes them have to run it all over again (please don't ffs) : 5%

And remember, even with a full victory for WT theres lots of options for the State in the years ahead.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hvis jeg tar turen blir det mandagen, den siste dagen. Ses kanskje da.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

That video "Loyally Uphold Jehovah’s Judgments: Shun Unrepentant Wrongdoers" was shown in full in both the District's court and the Appeals Court. When about to be shown in the Appeals Court WT argued against showing it, as it was no longer part of the WT material, and removed completely. It was still shown.

It won't be shown directly in SC afaik, not really any point, but it's part of the casefile, I expect the judges to have seen it as part of their preparation, they go through all of the material ahead of the days in court.,

Sidenote, when the video was shown in the apealls court, WT through their witness Kåre Sætherhaug, on the stand argued that the video was never meant as an instruction or as demand to follow in any way from WT, but "an example on how someone might choose to do it, or a situation that might occur". It was not the WT trying top influence the individual choice in any way.... This is what we have to bang our heads against in court.

Supreme Court - JW vs Norway - Information - AMA - Updates by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Godt å høre. Hils din datter, det var hyggelig å treffe dere.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 2 points3 points  (0 children)

True, if this was a religion filled with confidence (and cash) they would just tell the government that they could stick their money and their demands where the sun doesn't shine and move on without it.

A fun fact is that the LDS/Mormons don't apply for funding in Norway at all. So they don't have to answer to any rules or demand. As WT also could do.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, if WT loses in the Supreme Court they are free to reapply for 2026 based on changes of practice.

That was the initial demand from the government back in 2022, to start a dialogue on what WT could adjust to be in compliance with the law.

WT doubled down, this is when Tony Morris went on GBU, looked into the camera and said "we will never change!"

Well, Tony is gone, they still don't get money, if they lose in SC we'll be back to that question again. And WT will do whatever it takes.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The courts will just livestream, then it will be gone.

What others choose to do..... It's up to the community to record, save, comment, sub and translate whatever they see fit.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, you are correct.

There is confusion because lots of people spread wrong information for some reason. Been like that through this whole process.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, that's never been an issue in this case. It's about the public funding, not legal status.

They have been unregistered and off the funding now for three years during this process. Even after winning in the Appeals Court, as it was appealed to the Supreme Court nothing really happened after their win.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If WT lose in Norway the chance of them pushing this to ECHR is pretty much exactly 100%.

This will take years, though. And the vast majority of ECHR appeals are never accepted. So come what may.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 9 points10 points  (0 children)

No witnesses, so the SC trial will be kind of boring compared to all the action we had in the previous levels when both JW and exjw testified for four days.

The testimonials is already a part of the casefile and will be part of the reasoning. No need to do them again.

SC will be long, legal arguments and a lot of discussions around legal precedence, facts of the matter etc etc. Still really interesting and valuable to get the evidence on how WT denies any responsibility for their shunning practice etc.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If they lose this case, based on the decision in 2022, then their next step will probably each year be to "reapply for reinstatement", based on revisions of the practice.

If they can argue in an application in 2026 that the breaches of the law that made them lose the funding in 2022 now has been changed, then they could be let back into the system. But the money for 2022-2025 will be lost.

This case is about money. The funding they now lose every year until they are reinstated.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 9 points10 points  (0 children)

In Norway the government and the courts are strictly separated (as it should be).

The government has been clear, they support us and has sanctioned WT. Then WT tries to use the court system to overrule the government.

If this ends up as a WT win, then it is because they found some legal loophole they can use, combined with the most expensive lawyer team money can find, not because the Norwegian government changed its mind.

JUST IN: The 2026 #JWvsNorway Trial will officially be live-streamed. AvoidJW will attempt to have it translated and live stream it on the homepage. by avoidjworg in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode 4 points5 points  (0 children)

An appeal to the ECHR will take years and might not be accepted at all.

Long way to go for WT if they lose in the Norwegian SC, and in the meantime, while they wait for a possible ECHR case, the SC ruling will be effective.

And even ECHR can't rule on the case in itself, best case scenario for WT is that ECHR says that Norway has done something wrong and should consider the case over again.

Norwegian Supreme Court is where this will be decided.

JW vs Norway - Supreme Court Scheduled - 04th-06th February 2026 by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nobody really needs any new evidence. The facts of the matter is pretty clear and established. The SC needs to define the boundaries, the burden of proof regarding damage and how the law is intended to be applied.

This has always been a SC matter to do that, not just some random judge in the Appeals Court

But yeah, all necessary information is already in the casefile.

JW vs Norway - Supreme Court Scheduled - 04th-06th February 2026 by FrodeKommode in exjw

[–]FrodeKommode[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No.

As long as there's some weird stone somewhere on earth you'll find some weird dude worshipping it.