Em 14 de março de 2025, o Tribunal de Apelação de Borgarting reverteu por unanimidade a decisão do Tribunal Distrital, concluindo que o Estado não havia demonstrado que os menores batizados de fato sofrem pressão para não se retirar, nem que a prática equivalia a violência psicológica ou a controle social negativo, e concedeu à organização o ressarcimento das custas.
Claim ID claim-shunning-norway-2025-court-of-appealConcerns 14 de março de 2025Conclusão independente
A afirmação e as suas provas
Conclusão independente · 14 de março de 2025Respaldado
“The State has not demonstrated in concrete terms whether, and to what extent, baptised minor members of Jehovah’s Witnesses actually experience pressure not to commit norm violations or not to withdraw, out of fear of being subjected to a disfellowshipping process ... and of losing relationships with family and friends within the religious community.”
Unanimous reversal of the District Court; findings of fact quoted in the Supreme Court judgment (para 102). The organisation was awarded costs (NOK 8.5 million per jw.org).
No online copy located.
Nota de procedência e verificação for Borgarting lagmannsrett (Borgarting Court of Appeal), judgment of 14 March 2025, Jehovas vitner v. Staten v/Barne- og familiedepartementet
Nota de confiança.Judgment not opened and case number not obtained; outcome and date confirmed by the Supreme Court judgment (HR-2026-1009-A, opened), jw.org release (opened) and rett24 (opened). Quotation is the Supreme Court's English rendering of the Court of Appeal's finding.
29 de abril de 2026 · paras 4, 39-45, 94-102, 110-127, 149-152, 227-230 · Norges Høyesterett
“Members of the religious community are thus not to associate with former members, whether disfellowshipped or withdrawn. This also applies to close relatives, unless they belong to the same household. Family ties are not severed, but with regard to family members other than those with whom one lives, contact is permitted only in necessary family matters. It is undisputed that the threshold for such contact is relatively high.”
3-2 majority (Steen, Arntzen, Hellerslia; Poulsen and Falkanger dissenting) dismissed the State's appeal and declared the refusals of registration and grants invalid; unanimous that infringement of children's rights was not proved; majority: practice 'may entail a clear psychological pressure not to withdraw' (para 123) but not 'improper pressure' under Art. 9 ECHR; dissent: right to withdraw infringed. Costs NOK 2,165,461. Quotes od 2019 p. 148, lvs pp. 39-40, ks 2019 ch. 12 par. 17, w24 Aug p. 24 par. 18, the 2022 jw.org FAQ and a JW brochure 'Jehovah’s Witnesses and Disfellowshipping'.
Nota de procedência e verificação for Supreme Court of Norway (Høyesterett), judgment HR-2026-1009-A (case no. 25-089326SIV-HRET), official English translation published 16 July 2026, The State (Ministry of Children and Families) v. Jehovah’s Witnesses; European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses (intervener)
Nota de confiança.Official English translation PDF (https://www.domstol.no/globalassets/upload/hret/translated-rulings/2026/hr-2026-1009-a.pdf) downloaded and read; all quoted paragraphs confirmed. Norwegian original: https://www.domstol.no/globalassets/upload/hret/avgjorelser/2026/april/hr-2026-1009-a.pdf
Procedência da digitalização.Supreme Court of Norway, Communication Department translation (legal authenticity remains with the Norwegian text).
Consultado em. 19 de setembro de 2026 · Identificador da fonte.src-court-no-2026-0429-supreme-court
Publicação primária das Testemunhas de JeováVerificado
27 de março de 2025 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Jehovah’s Witnesses have been fully vindicated in that the decisions to deny grants and registration are invalid.”
Reports the Borgarting Court of Appeal decision of 14 March 2025 and costs of NOK 8,500,000; says limiting contact with removed members 'is not a violation of his rights' and, for minors, 'does not constitute psychological violence' (as quoted by jw.org).
Reports that the Borgarting Court of Appeal found it not shown ('ikke sannsynliggjort') that the practice of social distancing toward members who leave violates the right to exit, nor that the practice toward minors constitutes psychological violence or negative social control.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/pt-br/evidence/claim-shunning-norway-2025-court-of-appeal/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.