Earnest, although reporting is not mandatory by law, there nothing stopping JWs deciding on their own to report all cases as a matter of policy, is there? The fact that they are willing to comply with mandatory reporting when it is the law shows they don’t believe it breaks any scriptural principle. So couldn’t they decide to make it their own policy?
The idea of a someone at the branch (with what training?) making the decision on whether to report on the basis of a phone call from local elders doesn’t seem ideal does it?