In Highwood Congregation v. Wall (2018 SCC 26) the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously held that courts cannot judicially review a religious organisation's membership (disfellowshipping) decision, even where the member says the resulting avoidance by co-religionists damaged his business.

Supreme Court of Canada, Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Judicial Committee) v. Wall, 2018 SCC 26, [2018] 1 S.C.R. 750, “Case in Brief (official summary) and judgment (Rowe J. for a unanimous Court)”

31 May 2018 · Supreme Court of Canada

“courts can only review the decisions of public decision-makers and that private decision-makers don’t have to follow fair procedures unless an enforceable legal right is at stake”

Randy Wall, disfellowshipped in 2014, said the decision harmed his real-estate business because Witness clients avoided him; the Court held there is no free-standing right to judicial review of a religious organisation's membership decision and that disagreements about religious principles are not for the courts.

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