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Quebec Court Awards Damages To Raelians For Invasion of Privacy By Press

By Howard M. Friedman

Yesterday's National Post reports on a decision by the Court of Quebec awarding $9000 in damages to two members of the Raelian movement who say their privacy was infringed by the undercover activities of a Sun Media Corp. reporter who infiltrated the sect. The two plaintiffs (a psychologist and a contractor) claim that they suffered injuries from their exposure as high-ranking Raelians. The lengthy decision in ville A (Québec) v. Corporation Sun Media, (Ct. of Que., March 31, 2009) (full text in French) (unofficial English translation) balances privacy rights with free press concerns. Describing the Raelian movement, the court says:

Rael, born in France, believes he is the result of the union between an Eloha, a member of an extra-terrestrial family, the Elohim, and a woman from Earth, and that after having received the good message from these which manifested themselves to him early in his adult life, he gave himself the mission to prepare the Elohim?s return on Earth and to create favourable conditions for humans of the Earth for them to give us eternal life.

The Raelian movement issued its own press release on the decision.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on May 12, 2009 (boomark / email).