SCIENTOLOGIST'S COURT CASE THROWN OUT BY MAGISTRATES - Repost to alt.religion.scientology.

(The following article appeared in the UK PRESS GAZETTE (UKPG) on 25 September)

Its a real victory for journalists doing their job in the interest of the
public, and a victgory against pressure groups like the Church of Scientology.
- Alison Braund.

BIG STORY journalist Alison Braund has hailed a court victory over the
Church of Scientology as a boost to investigative journalism.

City of London magistrates dismissed private prosecutions for theft brought
by the Scientologists against Braund, producer Claudia Milne and Twenty
Twenty Television as an abuse of process.

An attempt to ban the programme was refused by the Attorney General (UKPG
17 July).

Braund said afterward: Its a great decision. Its a real victory for
journalists doing their job in the interest of the public, and a victory
against pressure groups like the Church of Scientology, who harass people
through the courts. I shall carry on investigating.

We did follow ITC guidelines and, for the integrity of myself, Twenty Twenty
and Carlton, its great.

The Church had accused the programme makers of having obtained entry to two
of its courses dishonestly, and of trespass to goods.

In May, Braund went undercover and enrolled for scientology courses in order
to film for the programme, entitled Inside the Cult.

The court heard that the church suspected she was an undercover journalist
and sought to entrap her by leaving documents, marked highly confidential,
around. Braund took them and was consequently arrested for theft.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service considered the case but took no
further action.

The chairman of the magistrates, Hinda Style, said: The actions of the
prosecution pre-empted the decision of the CPS, and the taking out of
summonses was oppressive.

Representing the defendants, Peter Thornton said: The proceedings are
tainted by the ulterior motives of trying to prevent the broadcast,
punishing and embarrassing the defendants, and dissuading other
journalists and programme makers from publishing any other material
critical of the Church of Scientology.

He also submitted that dishonesty was not involved in the accepted sense. He
told the court that the cult being secretly filmed by Braund, using a camera
concealed in her spectacles, involved hypnotic elements, brainwashing and
taking money.

Costs of 15,410.31 were awarded against the prosecution. The Church is
considering appealing the magistrates decision. A Church spokesman said that
the programme was cynically calculated" and had ignored information which it
had provided.