Scientology protests its prosecution by France, February 2012
A Scientologist convicted in France’s landmark fraud case against the movement has failed in a bid to get counter-cult group UNADFI and its lawyer fined for their role in the case.
In what amounts to a legal rap on the fingers, the Paris court that heard her complaint decided instead to award damages and legal costs against her.
Sabine Jacquart, a former president of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre in Paris, was convicted with others of organised fraud in a landmark 2009 trial.
That case, which for the first time saw two Scientology organisations in France among those convicted, was confirmed on appeal in 2011.
Her case was argued in a Paris civil court last October 16 — the same day, the country’s highest court confirmed the criminal convictions against Jacquart, four other Scientologists and the two Scientology organisations.
Jacquart denounced the fact that UNADFI and its lawyer Olivier Morice had played a key role at every stage of that trial.
While the criminal court that handled the original trial and the appeal court both refused UNADFI plaintiff status, those rulings were only handed down after Morice had played a full role in the proceedings.
Jacquart argued that because she had been obliged to defend herself from UNADFI, an association that no business being in court in the first place, she had not received a fair trial.
In her complaint, Jacquart asked the court to fine both Morice and UNADFI for their conduct in this affair and to send the criminal case back to a judge to consider if the case should be re-examined.
UNADFI, in its response, argued that since Jacquart had not even attended the trial on appeal, it was difficult to see how they had damaged her chance to a fair trial.
UNADFI — and Morice — objected to Jacquart’s characterisation of them as meddling in court cases that did not concern them, of doing everything they could to harass and overwhelm the defendants.
They asked the court to fine Jacquart for attacking them in this way when in fact they had simply been exercising their legal rights in a proper manner.
The court, in its ruling, agreed with them. It said that if Jacquart had a problem with UNADFI’s continued presence in the courtroom, she should have raised the issue earlier.
It rejected any suggestion that UNADFI and Morice had behaved improperly, ruling instead that Jacquart’s bid to have them sanctioned was itself an abuse of the legal process.
It ordered her to pay Morice 15,000 euros in damages and 5,000 euros to UNADFI. She was also instructed to pay another 7,000 euros towards their legal costs.
As we reported here on Friday, just a few days ago, the movement in France was making much of a ruling that awarded some of the defendants in the long-running affair damages for unacceptable delays in the case (it dates back to 1998).
There was no word in their press release about this result however, even though it was handed down the same day, January 22.
UNADFI president Catherine Picard tells us that a number of the other defendants in the fraud case have filed similar complaints against them.
She is hoping for similar results in those cases, in rulings due next month: watch this space.
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Steven Mango’s film: Inside the Scientology Celebrity Centre
We heard from Steven Mango this morning, who asked us to post his film, which had its debut last night in Los Angeles. Give it a look!
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And now Ideal Advanced Orgs?
We want to thank the tipster who sent us this flier from Italy. It refers to Scientology’s “Advanced Org” in Copenhagen, and claims that the AO is now going “Ideal.”
It says, “The first Ideal Advanced Organization on the planet.”
They say it’s going to open in Copenhagen in February and they will communicate the date when they know for sure. Nothing else really to translate. It’s mostly fodder. Well, the Ideal Org is something of the past. Now, It’s the Ideal Advanced Org!
Does this mean renovations are coming for the other Advanced Orgs in Los Angeles, Sydney, and Saint Hill in England? Oh, the fundraising opportunities are amazing!
Thanks to reader Vistaril_LOL for this translation of the flier…
A new dawn is rising as we speak for the first advanced org on the planet, AOSH Europe!
Take part in the inauguration and be part of history!
I’ve got fabulous news for you! The first adv Ideal org on the planet is being opened – AOSH Europe, right here in Copenhagen!
It’s an important, even vital achievement with a new availability conforming to the birth of a new AOSH.It’s not just about a greater level, bur is exactly how LRH outlined and will make it possible to speed up enormously your advancement up the bridge up to OT V
The restructuring is being finished at the moment, and will soon be ready for the inauguration! At present it seems like this will happen in the first days of February.
As soon as a definite date is fixed I will let you know,butt in the meantime if I were you I’d keep the first two weeks of Feb free from any other commitment so you will be able to take part in this inauguration.
This will be a two day function with prominent speakers and I believe you won’t want to miss what happens here.It will be a moment of enormous importance not solely for $cientology in Europe , but also for YOU!
With affection
Walter
CO CLO EUFor assistance re journeys/transport and hotels, contact the Public Service Secretary of your zone org.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 27, 2014 at 07:00
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