RELIGIOUS VILIFICATION CASE GOES BACK TO MEDIATION – AGAIN

The religious vilification case originally brought more than 5 years ago by the Islamic Council against Catch the Fire Ministries (CTFM), Pastor Danny Nalliah and Pastor Daniel Scot has been back in court again. This was as a result of the Court of Appeal, last December, upholding the appeal by CTFM against the ruling by Judge Michael Higgins in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal that CTFM had breached the racial and Religious Tolerance Act.As a result of this latest hearing both parties have agreed to again go back to mediation for discussion as to whether the case can be settled before a new hearing is held. The mediation will be held on 22 June 2007. If the case is not settled at mediation a hearing date has been set starting on 3 December 2007.

“Now the Supreme Court has vindicated us, we are back on a neutral playing field,” Catch the Fire leader Danny Nalliah said after the hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. “I emphasise that our heart’s desire is not to have a go at Muslims or the Islamic community, but they took us to court and we have only been defending ourselves.”But Pastor Nalliah said he would not take a backward step on the teachings that the tribunal earlier ruled vilified Muslims. The Islamic Council complained under Victoria’s religious vilification law that Catch the Fire Ministries and pastors Nalliah and Daniel Scot vilified them in the seminar and in a newsletter.Judge Michael Higgins upheld the original complaint by the Islamic Council in the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal, ordering the Christians to take out newspaper advertisements apologising and to undertake not to repeat the teaching in Australia. But his judgement and orders were set aside in the Court of Appeal last December. The appeal judges ordered the case back to the tribunal to be re-heard by a different judge. The tribunal vice president Judge Marilyn Harbison, before whom the latest hearing was held, said the case would need an experienced mediator.Catch the Fire solicitor Philip Curtis said the offending seminar was held in March 2002. “We are now five years down the track. It’s been a long time to have the issue unresolved.”

Source: Compiled by APN from various sources

June 12, 2007

Have you visited our Web Site? http://www.ausprayernet.org.au/