Riddle's written ruling on Thursday said he did not need to rule on the question of contempt at this time, and that he chose not to do so. The church also asked the court to rule that Phillips pay for the church's legal costs. Since that is a criminal offense, the church's filing suggested he was guilty of contempt of court. The church's position was that Phillips was not authorized under British law to file his complaint. to bolster its position: "As the charges are worded, it is impossible for any court to adjudicate upon them without being drawn into arguments regarding the 'truth or reasonableness of the doctrines' of the church and 'to adjudicate on the seriousness, cogency and coherence of theological beliefs' of the church." The church's argument used wording from past cases in the U.K. "The charges as set out are inherently flawed," the document said, "in that they would require a criminal court to adjudicate upon issues of religious doctrine and belief," which are not appropriate for review in a secular court under British law. James Lewis, an attorney acting on behalf of the church and President Monson, filed the prehearing document with the court and used it to characterize the summonses as "an abuse of the process" that never should have been issued because they allege issues regarding faith. "This is no more than a vexatious publicity stunt by Thomas Phillips, a disgruntled former member of the church, who in any event does not appear to be authorized to engage in litigation in England," the church's filing said. Prior to the first hearing, the LDS Church filed an application with the court asking the judge to summarily dismiss the summonses, arguing that they were abusive and contemptuous. President Monson did not appear at Thursday's hearing or the initial day-long hearing last week, but he was represented by attorneys, as allowed by British law. 31, had been called, among other things, "bizarre," "troubling" and "absurd," by British lawyers, religious freedom advocates on both sides of the Atlantic, and journalists. Legal experts and religious freedom advocates expressed surprise and dismay after a British magistrate summoned President Monson to appear in a London court to answer questions about Phillips' description of Mormon beliefs. "It is common ground that that is wrong," Riddle wrote in his ruling. The judge also said it was a mistake for the magistrate who issued the summonses to President Monson to state in them that a failure to appear at the court hearings about them could lead to a warrant for his arrest. “My legal team will leave no stone unturned,” he said in a statement. "This case was a misuse of the legal system and should never have been brought." “We are satisfied with the court’s ruling," church spokesman Cody Craynor said. The LDS Church issued a statement after the hearing. "No judge in a secular court in England and Wales would allow that issue to be put to a jury." "To convict, a jury would need to be sure that the religious teachings of the Mormon Church are untrue or misleading," Riddle said. The judge said that was inappropriate for a United Kingdom court. "It is an abuse of the process of the court."īritish citizen Tom Phillips, a disaffected Mormon, brought a rare personal prosecution against President Monson on behalf of two other disaffected Latter-day Saints in an attempt to put LDS beliefs on trial. "I am satisfied that the process of the court is being manipulated to provide a high-profile forum to attack the religious beliefs of others," Westminster Magistrates' Court Senior District Judge Howard Riddle said in a written ruling. Monson in January and called them an "abuse" of the court. LONDON - In a strongly worded ruling handed down Thursday morning, a British judge dismissed two summonses issued to LDS Church President Thomas S. – Court Senior District Judge Howard Riddle No judge in a secular court in England and Wales would allow that issue to be put to a jury. To convict, a jury would need to be sure that the religious teachings of the Mormon Church are untrue or misleading.
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