Suit against sect members can proceed

GlobeandMail.com/February 26, 2005
By Dawn Walton

Calgary -- A lawsuit that accuses Jehovah's Witnesses members of contributing to the death of a Calgary teen who refused blood transfusions cleared a major legal hurdle yesterday as the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench rejected a motion that would have effectively thrown out the case.

Lawrence Hughes was rightfully named administrator of the estate of his 17-year-old daughter, Bethany, who died of leukemia in 2002, the court ruled yesterday. As a result, he can move ahead with his $975,000 lawsuit against the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada, its lawyers, its members and Bethany's mother.