Samoan Mormons' battle over language

A group of Brisbane-based Samoan Mormons have undertaken a legal battle to ensure their right to speak their native language in church. 

Their lawyer alleges that the Brisbane Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is forcing worshippers to use English during services, and has banned the reading of the Samoan Bible and the use of Samoan in hymns and prayers.

However, Tupuola George Hunter, Public Relations Officer of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints or Mormons in Samoa, says that the claims are untrue. 

“There is no policy in our church to ban any language from services,” he said. Policy decisions are made by the head office in Salt Lake City, and no language ban has been issued

The dissatisfied Samoans are continuing to maintain their links with the church, but have gone elsewhere to worship. 

The case raises some interesting legal issues, with section 9 of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) providing that it is unlawful to discriminate based on race in a way that impairs "the recognition, enjoyment or exercise... of any human right or fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, cultural ‘or any other ?eld of public life."

However, the civil courts typically play no role in the adjudication of spiritual, doctrinal and ecclesiastical issues.

You can read more about this case here.

Our LawOne Service provides over 70, 000 links to cases discussing legislative provisions – just one of the features of the premium legal product on the market today.