{"id": "DISC-0044", "item_id": "ITEM-0010", "source_id": "SRC-0043", "year": "2016", "date_precision": "month", "disclosure_method": "court_record", "extent": "partial", "coverage": "Provisions on child sexual abuse: scriptural offences, standards of proof, investigation and judicial committees", "review_status": "unreviewed", "notes": "Quoted and summarised from the handbook in evidence before the Royal Commission (public hearing July–August 2015).", "item": {"id": "ITEM-0010", "tradition_id": "TRAD-0008", "name": "Elders' manual (Shepherd the Flock of God)", "secrecy_type": "internal_governance", "restricted_to": "Congregation elders", "restriction_mechanism": "social_sanction", "stated_reason": "Guidance intended for appointed elders", "current_status": "practiced", "status_as_of": "", "status_claim_ids": "", "description": "Internal handbook covering congregational procedures including judicial committees.", "notes": ""}, "tradition": {"id": "TRAD-0008", "name": "Jehovah's Witnesses", "tradition_type": "religion", "founded": "1870s", "region": "United States / worldwide", "status": "active", "wikidata": "Q35269", "notes": ""}, "source": {"id": "SRC-0043", "title": "Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse", "author": "Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse", "original_year": "2016", "edition_year": "", "source_type": "court_record", "url": "https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/file-list/Case%20Study%2029%20-%20Findings%20Report%20-%20Jehovahs%20Witnesses.pdf", "identifiers": "isbn:978-1-925289-89-3", "provenance": "court_filing", "source_authenticity": "verified", "verification_notes": "Read on the Royal Commission's own website on 2026-11-04: findings report dated October 2016, ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3.", "rights": "open_license", "content_hash": "", "notes": "Published under a Creative Commons licence. 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