So-called “sovereign citizens” are using nonsense legal arguments to tie up court systems. Here are some ideas about how to deal with it.
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From food delivery drivers to pets in separation and the much-discussed teens social media ban, Australian law has undergone seveal important changes in 2025.
From a quirky Australian wheat farmer to more violent outcomes, the sovereign citizen movement often stems from a feeling of angst and uncertainty.
Criminologist Keiran Hardy talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about the origins of the sovereign citizen movement, and how it started in Australia with Prince Leonard.
The Porepunkah shooting has put ‘sovcits’ in the headlines. The incident is emblematic of a broader problem that poses more risks if left unaddressed.
The alleged shooter in the Porepunkah police killings was reportedly a sovereign citizen - a group with often deep antagonism towards authority figures.
Sovereign citizens might seem eccentric, or even harmless. But those who look to engage in ‘pseudolaw’ can pose real risks.
At the core of sovereign citizen beliefs is the denial of the legitimacy of the government. They do not believe they must obey any laws, nor that they can be held to account for lawbreaking.
Pseudolaw looks a bit like law. It uses legal texts and sounds like something a lawyer might say. But it does not follow normal legal rules. So where did it come from, and why it is so worrisome?
Romana Didulo has declared herself the Queen of Canada. Thousands of people follow her and her outlandish conspiracy theories, and here’s why that’s so dangerous.
New Zealand has a high concentration of extremist alt-right groups relative to similar countries. The challenge now is to head off hate crime and violence.
This year’s federal election will have many strands that influence it, including the ‘freedom’ protest movement and its interaction with right-wing populist politics.
Recently, white protesters have attempted to co-opt Indigenous peoples’ call for sovereignty and self-determination for their own agendas.
A clash of protesting groups are creating political tension in Australia.
To understand why this particular flag is being used requires a detour down a rabbit hole into this strange, conspiracy-laden, pseudo-legal culture.
Pseudolaw arguments against vaccine, mask and test rules mix real and fantasy legal ideas.
Sovereign citizens believe citizens are in an oppressive contract with the government, but that by declaring themselves ‘living’ or ‘natural’ people, they avoid being bound by certain rules or laws.
Native Americans who live in villages and on traditional lands have been undercounted by the U.S. Census for decades.
The growing number of self-taught, right-wing experts on the Constitution believe not only in the rights of white people, but have a comprehensive – if not comprehensible – view of the Constitution.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor of Law, Adelaide University
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Associate Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University
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Professor of Social Work and Criminology, Chatham University
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Associate Professor in Law, Adelaide University
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Director of Research and Policy at The Dor Foundation and Associate Professor of Politics at Deakin University, Deakin University
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Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, Adelaide University
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Researcher and Law Lecturer, Adelaide University
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Professor in Business Law, Adelaide University
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Lecturer Asian Studies (2004 - 2020), University of Tasmania
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Associate Dean Education, Gnibi College, Southern Cross University
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Associate Professor, UNSW
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Adjunct research fellow, Charles Sturt University
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Associate professor, University of Otago
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Associate Professor and Chair of Discipline (Law), Southern Cross University
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Adelaide University