Norway's County Governor denied Jehovah's Witnesses their state grant for 2021 (NRK reported about NOK 16 million and 12,686 grant-eligible members) on 27 January 2022 and deregistered the community on 22 December 2022 over its exclusion practice; the Oslo District Court upheld the State (4 March 2024), the Borgarting Court of Appeal reversed (March 2025) and on 30 April 2026 the Supreme Court held 3-2 that the decisions were invalid, with back-payments that NRK reported at roughly NOK 100 million.
Claim ID claim-authority-norway-grants-denied-2022-and-overturned-2026Concerns 30 April 2026Outcome
The organisation’s position or later explanation: jw.org describes the Supreme Court ruling as protecting religious freedom and confirming that its practices comply with Norwegian and international law; it does not mention the dissent.
27 January 2022 · Alexander Nordby, Inger Sunde, Svein Vestrum Olsson, Sverre Holm-Nilsen, Ali Iqbal Tahir · NRK
“Etter vår vurdering hindrer dette retten til fri utmelding, og er i strid med trossamfunnsloven § 2. [Statsforvalteren] — state support of about NOK 16 million for 2021 denied; 12,686 grant-eligible members”
Reports the County Governor's (Statsforvalteren i Oslo og Viken) decision denying the 2021 grant because of the exclusion (shunning) practice and the exclusion of baptised minors.
“Decisions challenged: 27 January 2022 (denial of state grant for 2021), 22 December 2022 (deregistration), 7 November 2023 (denial of grants for 2022 and 2023); annual grants at issue about NOK 16–18 million per year; approximately 12,600 registered members in 162 congregations (as summarised by the fetch tool)”
District Court upheld the State; overturned by Borgarting Court of Appeal (14 March 2025) and by the Supreme Court (30 April 2026).
Provenance and verification note for Lovdata (Oslo tingrett), Dom TOSL-2022-186588 / TOSL-2023-23178, Jehovas vitner v. Staten v/Barne- og familiedepartementet
Confidence note. Opened the Lovdata judgment page; figures as extracted by the fetch tool from the Norwegian text — exact NOK figures per year are reported here as the judgment summary gives them, and the site labels the claim they support as supported rather than verified. Downgraded to supported after review: the page was opened but the wording or date recorded here was tool-summarised, translated or inferred rather than confirmed by eye; re-read before upgrading.
30 April 2026 · Amalie Sande Henden, Viktor Sødal · NRK
“Supreme Court (5 judges) split 3-2 in favour of Jehovas vitner on the exclusion/free-withdrawal question; unanimous that children's rights were not violated; State to pay roughly NOK 100 million in retroactive grants plus over NOK 10.5 million costs (as summarised by the fetch tool)”
Contrasts with the organisation's own release which describes the ruling without mentioning the dissent.
Provenance and verification note for NRK, Høyesterett har talt: Staten kan ikke nekte Jehovas vitner statstilskudd og registrering
Confidence note. Opened the live NRK article; figures are attributed to NRK’s report rather than to the judgment, and the claim they support is labelled supported. Downgraded to supported after review: the page was opened but the wording or date recorded here was tool-summarised, translated or inferred rather than confirmed by eye; re-read before upgrading.
8 May 2026 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court of Norway announced a significant decision in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses. … the Court also found that the government’s denial of State grants to Jehovah’s Witnesses was illegal.”
Gives the organisation's timeline (deregistration 2022; Oslo District Court March 2024 against; Borgarting Court of Appeal March 2025 for; Supreme Court 30 April 2026 for) and cites 'more than 12,000' Witnesses in Norway. Does not mention the 3-2 split or grant amounts.
28 March 2024 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“continue to deny legal recognition to Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country of Norway unless we change our practices regarding the removal of unrepentant wrongdoers from the congregation”
Organisation's framing of the government's position after the Oslo District Court ruling of 4 March 2024; notes loss of state financial aid given to over 700 registered communities.
A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-authority-norway-grants-denied-2022-and-overturned-2026/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.