Isenglaas v Queensland Police Service [2023] QDC 242

Bo Isenglaas was convicted of speeding and appealed in Isenglaas v Queensland Police Service [2023] QDC 242, on the grounds that there was no proof of claim or authority that he is subject to the Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Road Rules) Regulation 2009 (Qld), and that police committed the crime of barratry. He … Continue reading Isenglaas v Queensland Police Service [2023] QDC 242

From the Crisis to the Reich: Post-Pandemic Developments of “Reichsbürger” and Sovereignists in Germany

Jan Rathje; "From the Crisis to the Reich: Post-Pandemic Developments of “Reichsbürger” and Sovereignists in Germany": "In the CeMAS report titled “Through the Crisis into the Reich”, significant trends within the conspiracy-ideological sovereignist milieu of “Reichsbürger” and other groups in Germany since the Covid-19 pandemic are analyzed. The report characterizes conspiracy-ideological sovereignism as a component … Continue reading From the Crisis to the Reich: Post-Pandemic Developments of “Reichsbürger” and Sovereignists in Germany

Pseudolaw and The Administration of Justice

Pseudolaw and The Administration of Justice Conference: Hosted by the University Technology Sydney (UTS), convened by Harry Hobbs, Joe McIntyre and Stephen Young. Speakers: Mark Pitcavage "Early Evolution of Sovereign Citizen Ideology" Christine Sarteschi “American State Nationals” Colin McRoberts "Pseudolaw and Indigenous Claims" Donald Netolitzky "Pseudolaw in Canada" David Heilpern "Lies, Lies and Videotapes" Bruce … Continue reading Pseudolaw and The Administration of Justice

The sovereign citizen superconspiracy: Contemporary issues in native title anthropology

Taplin, Holland and Billing; "The sovereign citizen superconspiracy: Contemporary issues in native title anthropology": "The Australian Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) provides for the recognition of rights and interests which arise from the traditional laws and customs of Australian First Nation peoples. Processing applications for a determination of native title can take many years and involves numerous … Continue reading The sovereign citizen superconspiracy: Contemporary issues in native title anthropology

Cyber Micronations and Digital Sovereignty

Hobbs, Hayward and Motum; "Cyber Micronations and Digital Sovereignty": "The Internet has spurred the development of thousands of virtual nations. Located entirely online, these micronations claim sovereignty over vast stretches of cyberspace and engage in performative rituals of statehood. They draft constitutions, compose national anthems, sell citizenship, and sometimes, confuse or confound ordinary people. What … Continue reading Cyber Micronations and Digital Sovereignty

The Cinderella Stamps and Philatelic Practices of Micronations: The Materiality of Claims to Statehood

Hobbs and Hohmann; "The Cinderella Stamps and Philatelic Practices of Micronations: The Materiality of Claims to Statehood": "When non-state entities design, issue and use their own postage stamps, they visibly harness the symbolism and trappings of statehood that stamps carry. Drawing on the international legal regulation of postage stamps, this article makes a close examination … Continue reading The Cinderella Stamps and Philatelic Practices of Micronations: The Materiality of Claims to Statehood

The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates

Bowes; Costello and Tasimi; "The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates". "Why some people are willing to believe conspiracy theories": "People can be prone to believe in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on their intuition, feeling a sense of antagonism and superiority … Continue reading The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates

Pseudolaw – Contrarian Nuisance or Existential Threat

A Halfling's View; "Pseudolaw - Contrarian Nuisance or Existential Threat": A 3-part series on pseudolaw written by retired NZ Judge David Harvey who disagrees with the position that pseudolaw is a Right-wing phenomenon, and considers it rather to be an aspect of the Radical Left and notions of indigenous sovereignty, concluding that the relationship between … Continue reading Pseudolaw – Contrarian Nuisance or Existential Threat

‘Without Fear or Favour, Affection or Ill-Will’: The Role of Courts in the Community

John Toohey; "Without Fear or Favour, Affection or Ill-Will': The Role of Courts in the Community" (1999): "The judicial oath, requiring judges to dispense justice to all 'without fear or favour; affection or ill-will', can be traced to a statute enacted during the reign of Edward III in 1346. This article, which was first delivered … Continue reading ‘Without Fear or Favour, Affection or Ill-Will’: The Role of Courts in the Community

“I hereby and herein claim liberties”: Identity and Power in Sovereign Citizen Pseudolegal Courtroom Filings

David Griffin; "I hereby and herein claim liberties”: Identity and Power in Sovereign Citizen Pseudolegal Courtroom Filings": "While the documents produced by members of the Sovereign Citizen movement are not legitimate legal documents, there is a distinctly legal character to them. This article examines the ways that Sovereign Citizen pseudolegal documents acquire that legal-seeming character … Continue reading “I hereby and herein claim liberties”: Identity and Power in Sovereign Citizen Pseudolegal Courtroom Filings

The Internationalisation of Pseudolaw: The Growth of Sovereign Citizen Arguments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Hobbs, Young and McIntyre; "The Internationalisation of Pseudolaw: The Growth of Sovereign Citizen Arguments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand" [2024] UNSWLJ 47(1): "Pseudolaw refers to the phenomenon whereby adherents adopt the forms and structures of legal argumentation while substituting the substantive content and underlying principles for a distinct parallel set of beliefs. In this … Continue reading The Internationalisation of Pseudolaw: The Growth of Sovereign Citizen Arguments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Woodhead v Commissioner of Police [2023] QDC 143

Another excellent judgement by Glen Cash DCJ. In Woodhead v Commissioner of Police [2023] QDC 143, the appellate "asserted the “Traffic Act” was not good law because it had not been given assent and, in any event, the law did not apply to him as he was on what he called a “private journey" that … Continue reading Woodhead v Commissioner of Police [2023] QDC 143

Turnbull v Clarence Valley Council [2023] NSWSC 83

In Turnbull v Clarence Valley Council [2023] NSWSC 83, the applicant sought damages in excess of $25 million against the Clarence Valley Council, said to be the result of various claimed unlawfulness and wrongdoing by the Council towards him, including being involved: "...in a conspiracy to overthrow the Commonwealth Constitution at the instigation of international bankers. As well … Continue reading Turnbull v Clarence Valley Council [2023] NSWSC 83

Reynolds v Nonkovic [2023] WASC 326

In the primary decision appealed in Reynolds v Nonkovic [2023] WASC 326, the appellant was convicted in his absence for failing to ensure that his vehicles number plate was properly fixed. The learned magistrate had referred to the frustrating fact that he "indulges in these nonsensical arguments that have been resoundingly disabused by the Supreme Court", … Continue reading Reynolds v Nonkovic [2023] WASC 326

Kwok v Gordon [2023] WASC 325

Kwok v Gordon [2023] WASC 325 (at 6-8): In Kelly v Fiander [2023] WASC 187, Vandongen J held that it was not a pre‑condition to reaching the conclusion that an accused had 'appeared' for the purpose of s 55 of the Criminal Procedure Act that the accused clearly identify themselves in answer to questions from the court. His Honour held that … Continue reading Kwok v Gordon [2023] WASC 325

Lexomancy: Law and Magic in the Pseudolegal Writings of the Sovereign Citizen Movement

David Griffin, J.D; "Lexomancy: Law and Magic in the Pseudolegal Writings of the Sovereign Citizen Movement": "The Sovereign Citizen movement is a loosely organized collection of anti-government conspiracy theorists found around the world. According to their pseudolegal theories, Sovereign Citizens believe that through the filing of certain forms and the raising of certain arguments in … Continue reading Lexomancy: Law and Magic in the Pseudolegal Writings of the Sovereign Citizen Movement

Whose constitution: Sovereign citizenship, rights talk, and rhetorics of constitutionalism in Australia

Bruce Baer Arnold and Erina Mikus Fletcher; "Whose constitution Sovereign citizenship, rights talk, and rhetorics of constitutionalism in Australia": "The ‘sovereign citizen’ is a contemporary phenomenon increasingly evident in Australia and other jurisdictions. It represents an alternative understanding of constitutions, justice, and authority. It centres on a rhetoric in which adherents assert rights but disclaim … Continue reading Whose constitution: Sovereign citizenship, rights talk, and rhetorics of constitutionalism in Australia

Westpac Banking Corporation v Davey [2016] WASC 316

Westpac Banking Corporation v Davey [2016] WASC 316 The defendant claimed that the Bank had securitised the loan accounts and the mortgages which resulted in the extinguishment of obligations between him and the Bank, but to make sure, also delivered four promissory notes to the Bank to settle anything owing. Claims relating to the Broker's conduct.  … Continue reading Westpac Banking Corporation v Davey [2016] WASC 316