In the decision of Wall v Judicial Committee for the Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, released on September 8, 2016, a majority on the Alberta Court of Appeal followed a line of case law which affirm that courts have the legal jurisdiction to review decisions made by a religious organization where discipline or expulsion was carried out in a manner that does not reflect principles of natural justice. The Wall case involved expulsion of an individual from the membership of the Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Alberta (“Congregation”), using procedures that the court found did not reflect principles of natural justice.
For the balance of this Bulletin, please see Church Law Bulletin No. 47.