Norwegian Court of Appeal Declares Deregistration of Jehovah’s Witnesses Invalid
On Friday, March 14, the Borgarting Court of Appeal delivered a landmark ruling, overturning the loss of registration and denial of state grants for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway from 2021 to 2024.
The court determined that the religious community’s practice of social distancing does not subject children to psychological harm or undue social control. Moreover, it ruled that their practices align with the Faith Communities Act and comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Court's Ruling on Deregistration
Unlike the Oslo District Court, the Court of Appeal found that the conditions required for denial under Section 6, in reference to Section 4 of the Religious Communities Act, had not been met. As a result, the court ruled the government’s decisions invalid.
Jehovah’s Witnesses had previously appealed after failing to secure registration as a religious community in the Oslo District Court in March 2023.
The key legal questions addressed by the Court of Appeal included whether the group’s practice of limiting contact with former members constituted a violation of the right to freely enter and exit a religious community, and whether it infringed upon children’s rights.
In awarding legal costs, the ruling emphasized: “Jehovah’s Witnesses have been fully vindicated, as the decisions to deny grants and registration are invalid.”
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Background of the Case
On March 4, 2024, the Oslo District Court upheld previous decisions by the Norwegian government and the State Administrator of Oslo and Viken, which had revoked Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration and their eligibility for state grants they had been receiving for three decades.
Authorities justified the decision on the basis of the religious group’s social distancing policy, which discourages members from maintaining contact with those who leave the faith, particularly individuals considered unrepentant of serious transgressions. This ruling conflicted with multiple court decisions in other nations, including those made by supreme courts, which had deemed such religious practices permissible.
Legal scholars and religious experts in both Norway and abroad criticized the deregistration as arbitrary and legally unfounded. Experts also pointed out that this decision could stigmatize Jehovah’s Witnesses and their members while stripping the community of civil rights, such as the ability to perform legally recognized marriages.
Jehovah’s Witnesses had been a state-recognized religious organization in Norway since 1985, and no criminal case had been presented against them to justify such a severe measure. Their deregistration resulted in the loss of approximately €1.6 million annually in state funding.
The legal implications of the case have been widely analyzed by experts, including Massimo Introvigne, in platforms such as Bitter Winter and Religion News Service.
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Non-Discrimination and Religious Funding
In Norway, state subsidies for religious organizations are not discretionary gifts but are allocated based on membership numbers. The Lutheran Church of Norway, as the official state church, receives government funding accordingly. To ensure religious equality, Norway’s Constitution mandates that other faith groups also receive proportional state support.
More than 700 religious communities in Norway benefit from such grants, including Orthodox congregations affiliated with Russia’s Patriarch Kirill, who has publicly supported the war in Ukraine. Critics have pointed out the inconsistency in revoking Jehovah’s Witnesses’ registration while continuing to fund organizations with controversial affiliations.
This Court of Appeal ruling marks a significant victory for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Norway, reaffirming their rights as a registered religious community and restoring their access to state funds.
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