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DUO VOW TO EXPOSE 'EVIL CULT'
High Court gives green light
The East Grinstead Observer, March 2, 1994
Two former Scientologists left the High Court last week, vowing to expose the organisation as 'evil'.
The Church of Scientology now faces massive legal bills and publication of its secret papers, after it ended a legal action against an East Grinstead dentist and his friend who they claimed unlawfully obtained them.
Both men are former cult members, who say they will now expose it as an "evil organisation that preys on the weak and vulnerable."
Judge David Sumner of London's High Court ordered the cult to pay legal costs of Ron Lawley of St James Road and Staffordshire accountant Robin Scott, and also return their copies of the documents.
In 1983 the men disguised themselves as senior cult members at its offices in Copenhagan, Denmark and "obtained copies of what are described as the New Operating Thetan Materials," the Judge said.
These were seized and returned to the cult by British police after Mr Scott was arrested and imprisoned for four months by Danish authorities, while the copies were given to cult solicitors following injunctions against all those involved, Judge Sumner said.
Ruling the cult could discontinue its litigation despite the men's wish to have a day in court, the judge ordered the copies returned to the two men, and all legal costs to date paid for them.
The court heard Mr Lawley now intends to publicise the documents on the cult's practices "in the public interest."
Outside the court he said: "It now means we can expose this organisation for what it is."
Mr Scott said: "By ending this litigation prematurely, the Scientologists have basically lost everything they set out to win."
He added he would have liked a day in court, and estimated legal costs could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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