Title: Scientology and the Courts - List of Cases

Source/Sponsoring Agency: na

URL: http://home.snafu.de/tilman/mgarde/list.htm

Date Checked: 10/18/2004      Status: Updated

Date Annotated: 6/13/1997

Topics: Civil Rights; Foreign Law; Intellectual Property Law; Religion; Torts;

Other keywords: Fraud,Scientology, Litigation

Contents: This site collects material related to the litigation activity of the Church of Scientology, with a special view to the ways the Church has used litigation and the courts as a means of countering criticism outside and within the church by means of tort suits and claims of copyright infringement. Provides links to news items, full text of newspaper articles and many texts of judicial opinions and court documents, and news of European cases (notably Germany). Striving for comprehensiveness, the site includes an alphabetical list of cases, as well as a list of legal rulings and statements from the US and abroad regarding the claim of Scientology to be a religion. Under "Miscellany" the site offers "Help for the inexperienced (Reading and Understanding Court Opinions)", an excellent summary of the federal court system. The site is current as of early 1997. Its manager takes a negative view of the Church of Scientology and especially its pattern of litigation, but has provided a wealth of materials. Many materials derive from items posted to the electronic discussion group alt.religion.scientology. (The Church of Scientology has its own website but refuses to provide its URL to other sites critical of the church.)

Author of Annotation: