Today a Dutch judge ruled that JW elders and the JW branch cannot invoke clergy-penitent privilege when it comes to information used in a judicial committee.
JW had filed a complaint with the courts because the branch office, two kingdom halls and a few elders' homes were raided by police almost 2 years ago in search of evidence related to child abuse issues.
JW argued that the information that was taken by police is protected by clergy-penitent privilege.
Today the judge ruled that 1) an organization doesn't haven't such a privilege, 2) JW elders don't always act as spiritual counselors. Their actions as judges in judicial committees aren't protected by privilege, and 3) conversations JW have with their elders are often not confidential at all (as per JW policy) so JW elders can't rightfully invoke clergy-penitent privilege to maintain absolute confidentiality, because there isn't absolute confidentiality in the first place.
JW are thinking about appealing the verdict.