September
1, 2007
Jehovah's Witness suit reinstated
Dad can proceed with legal action
By KEVIN MARTIN, SUN MEDIA
Shunned
Jehovah's Witness Lawrence Hughes can proceed with legal action on behalf of
his daughter's estate over allegations the church's influence hastened her
death.
In
a written decision, the Alberta Court of Appeal yesterday said Hughes shoul=
d be
restored as administrator of his dead daughter's estate. =
And,
the top court ruled, litigation over allegations church members misrepresen=
ted
the benefits of blood transfusions to Bethany Hughes could proceed.
But
the appeal judges noted the case will not put on trial the belief of Jehova=
h's
Witnesses that blood transfusions are wrong.
"The
pleadings will not require any examination of the 'truth' of the (church
members) beliefs about blood transfusions," the judges said.
A
lower court judge ruled last year the allegations of misrepresentation was
simply an attack on Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs.
Justice
Patricia Rowbotham said litigation couldn't proceed on the basis a religious
belief is wrong.
But
the appeal court said Charter protected freedom of religion is "subjec=
t to
those limitations that are justifiable in a free and democratic society.&qu=
ot;
"It
is not at all clear to what extent a religious adherent can convince another
person to take actions for religious reasons that will cause him or her bod=
ily
harm or even death, even if the religious belief is sincerely held," t=
hey
said
The
appeal judges said those issues could only be resolved in a full trial.
Bethany
Hughes, 17, died Sept. 5, 2002, two months after court-imposed transfusions
were stopped when doctors determined they were ineffective. She had refused=
to
approve the treatments based on her religious beliefs.
Lawrence
Hughes commenced his nearly $1-million wrongful death suit two years later
after a court approved him as administrator of the estate. That decision was
later struck, effectively ending his legal action, but the appeal court
reinstated him.
"It
might be that the Charter protected right of freedom of religion would prot=
ect
actions of this sort if they are honestly held," they said.
"It
might be argued at trial that there is no reasonable limit that would be
recognized in a free and democratic society that would prevent the religious
adherent from giving such medical advice."
=
------=_NextPart_01C86B40.964F7D90
Content-Location: file:///C:/011A04B3/2007_09_01_CS_files/themedata.thmx
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Type: application/vnd.ms-officetheme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------=_NextPart_01C86B40.964F7D90
Content-Location: file:///C:/011A04B3/2007_09_01_CS_files/colorschememapping.xml
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/xml