The Committee of Management for the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses facing Indictment in Australia

In 2006, the Victoria (Australia) Government introduced mandatory child protection laws to help protect children from sexual or physical harm by preventing those who pose a risk to their safety from working or volunteering with them. It is an offence to knowingly engage in or engage someone in “child-related work” without them having passed a Working With Children Check. The deadline for compliance by "religious organisations" was 1 July 2008. The Watch Tower Society refused to comply.