There’s a famous video clip of actor Tom Cruise saluting a portrait of the man he calls L.R.H. Cruise is referring to L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology.



But there was a time when the Scientologists' cheerleader wasn’t a Hollywood star, but the Australian High Court judge Lionel Murphy.



Murphy wasn’t a scientologist – not remotely – but one of his rulings made Australia the first country to recognise Scientology as a religion.



ABC journalist Steve Cannane has been asking some tough questions about the religious status, the money and the abuse of power inside Hubbard’s so-called church for his new book, Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia.

So how did Australia’s highest court help create scientology as a religion?