The Sovereign Nation of Shetland is an unincorporated association
of like-minded people living in Shetland.
We make no claim to nationhood yet, but our name indicates our purpose.
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There are statements on this site that, if untrue, are libelous. We stand by them. Should any of those concerned wish to challenge us on them, they must take us to court - otherwise the statements stand as the truth. Acting First Minister Stuart Hill, Sovereign without the States of Scotland or The United Kingdom.
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PUBLIC NOTICE To all persons exercising the alleged authority of Scotland, The United Kingdom or The European Union in Shetland or Orkney:
You are hereby notified that neither The United Kingdom, Scotland, nor The European Union has any authority in Shetland. You are referred to the book Stolen Isles (see index at left) for historical details, but from the Scottish law books:
The Laws of Scotland, Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia, Vol. 18, paras. 42 & 47:
IN SCOTLAND: The sovereign power is the same as allodial (absolute) ownership.
All land in Shetland is udal (allodial) title.
The UK Crown does not pretend to own the allodial tile of Shetland and therefore lacks the fundamental legal basis for pretending sovereignty here. Anyone pretending authority under UK or Scottish legislation must first prove that Shetland (and/or Orkney) is part of Scotland. No court, when challenged, has been able to do so.
With this knowledge you are hereby advised that, if you exercise your alleged authority, you are acting beyond your authority and expose yourself to the risk of personal liability against which your bond or insurance, will be worthless.
This Public Notice will be founded upon in the event of any action.
The Sovereign Nation of Shetland exists to promote and protect the rights of the sovereign people of Shetland. Anyone who owns a house or piece of land in Shetland is sovereign in their own right (See the book Stolen Isles). The Sovereign Nation of Shetland makes provision for those wishing to join, but who do not already own their own land, to be given a token piece of land so that all members have the same sovereign standing.
This is the place for those Shetlanders who want to see fair democracy, fair justice and fair money. Shetland is a unique place in many ways, but for its people probably the most important is its constitutional position - how we want to relate to the rest of the world.
Once we realise that we don't have to do what Westminster or Holyrood tells us, we can have whatever relationship we wish with the rest of the world.
We can get rid of fuel poverty.
We can get rid of all poverty.
We can decide our own fisheries policy.
We can decide for ourselves where we want our money to go.
We can fund our farmers and crofters to suit ourselves.
We can keep the £81 million we give the UK treasury every year for nothing back.
We can decide where the oil revenue goes.
We will have high quality jobs for those we send away to university.
We will be a magnet for tourists.
We will be in the driving seat in negotiations with the oil companies.
There's only one catch – most people think we are part of Scotland and we keep acting as if we are. That's just how the UK government wants things to be.
After long research and court battles, the truth about Shetland's constitutional position is revealed. Although the history is complicated, the legal position is this:
In Scotland the court's authority derives from the sovereign power.
The sovereign power is the same as allodial (absolute) ownership.
In Shetland all land is allodial.
In Shetland, everyone who owns a piece of land is sovereign in their own right.
All land in Shetland is allodial and the Crown does not own the allodial title to Shetland. Everybody who owns land in Shetland (with certain exceptions) owns the allodial title and is sovereign in their own right. Read that again and digest it, This is something the government certainly doesn't want us to know.
This is how it's always been, but incoming Scottish dignitaries in the 15th and 16th centuries managed to reduce the population to little more than serfs, so that any notion of sovereignty was apparently long lost. That's how the government would like to keep it, but nothing has been done to change it. You can't keep a good sovereign down!
The courts don't have authority here, but there's one last obstacle – we keep voting in UK and Scottish elections. If Shetland is not part of Scotland then those elections are fraudulent and anybody involved in them aids and abets the fraud. The Sovereign Nation of Shetland is committed to exposing this fraud and prevent it happening.
Those who would control us will accuse us of trying to deny people's right to vote, but they would, wouldn't they? Here is the challenge to them: All they have to do is prove that Shetland is part of Scotland and we'll go away. Until they do, their fraud has been exposed and the people of Shetland are free to do as they choose.
Those who do not own their own land need not feel left out. Members of The Sovereign Nation of Shetland who don't have any land will be given a small piece so that everybody is on a level playing field. At first this will just be a token piece, but as things progress, we should be able to give pieces large enough to build a house on.
We have our sights on a fair system of democracy, fair justice and fair money. No tax on fuel, no VAT and no income tax. It's all possible - if we are brave enough to take this first step, free ourselves from the yoke and stop our hard earned money going south.
Neither The UK or The EU has any right to the waters around Shetland. They are ours and other nations may use them only on our terms. UK grants are a sop. We pay the government, the government keeps some and gives us back the breadcrumbs while they laugh up their sleeves. If the money never left Shetland, we would be able to pay all the grants and subsidies we like to our own industries.
With a vibrant economy, we will attract more tourism and will be able to provide the kinds of positions our young people go to university to qualify for. If we want more jobs at Sullom Voe, we will be in the driving seat to ensure the oil companies use it.
As for the Viking Energy project, why would we want to irrepably damage our natural heritage for a paltry £2 million? That figure is dwarfed by the benefits of a Sovereign Shetland.
If you are not already a member and you live in Shetland, hit the button below to join. Membership is only £20 per year (or £2 per month) and the benefits are priceless.
HERE'S WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
In Shetland (and Orkney) every one of us is sovereign in our own right because of our history. It's very simple:
Exactly 550 years ago (a date convenientl ignored by the SIC), 'the king's lands' in Shetland were pawned by King Christian of Denmark to King James III of Scotland. I won't go into any more detail - it's all in my book, Stolen Isles, in the index at the left. This had two effects:
All King James got, and all the Crown has ever had, was 'the king's lands' (about 10% of Shetland) held in trust untile the Danes came up with the money to get them back. King Christian could only pawn his personal lands - he couldn't pawn something he didn't own
The other 90% was owned by the Lords of Norway. These men elected their king, owned their land outright, had their own parliament and made their own laws - it's difficult to imagine a more complete definition of sovereignty.
What is important to us is that those rights have passed down to every legitimate land owner in Shetland. Every single one holds the allodial title, which automatically gives sovereignty. We are our own kings and queens and nobody can tell us what to do - unless we give that power away.
Don't worry if you don't have your own land. The Sovereign Nation of Shetland gives its members a token piece to ensure we are all on an equal footing.
Since 2011 I have been trying to get the Scottish courts to show how they have jurisdiction in Shetland (and Orkney).It has been a lonely battle, but I completely understand why nobody would want to follow my example when they might be sent to jail (as I have) without the court even bothering with any proof that Shetland is part of Scotland. I persist because of the number of people who stop me in the street, shake my hand and say "Good on you Stuart - keep going".
At the time of this writing, the Orkney case, where I am accused of not submitting a record of my expenses during the 2017 UK general election, has been rumbling on for over a year. It seems that the courts will do whatever is necessary to stop the question surfacing in open court, but they can't get away with it for ever. We are close to a breakthrough.
On 21st April 2010 we launched The Sovereign Nation of Shetland Manifesto. More information below and on other pages on this site.
As you read this, please keep an open mind. Some of what we say is difficult for many to contemplate, but everything is supported by solid evidence. Historians have led us down a path attempting to explain how Orkney and Shetland arrived at where they are today, but unfounded assumptions have had to be made and documents ignored to make the process appear to fit the result. The whole evidence is in the book Stolen Isles, Now in its third edition, nobody has contradicted its arguments.
Below is the challenge that is before the Lerwick Sheriff Court (and in amended form has been placed before the Court of Session and the Supreme Court) None has refuted its competence or validity - all they have been able to do is side-step it and in doing so render all proceedings null and void. Every court must be able to hear proof of its jurisdiction if challenged - it should be done as a matter of course. With this question, the political implications are so huge that judges at every level are prepared to break the law and ignore their own rules in order to avoid the question being aired in open court:
That the jurisdiction of The Lerwick Sheriff Court is challenged on the basis that Shetland is not part of Scotland.
That The Lerwick Sheriff Court has no jurisdiction in the present matter, or any other matter, until it hears proof of its jurisdiction.
That the court must hear proof of its jurisdiction from the party bringing the case.
That no court has heard proof that Shetland is part of Scotland.
That the UK government can show no proof that Shetland is part of the UK.
That the Scottish government can show no proof that Shetland is part of Scotland.
That the matter is untested in the courts.
That there is no prior case law on the subject that does not rely solely on presumption and hearsay.
That any sheriff proceeding without hearing proof of jurisdiction will be acting ultra vires [without authority].
That any proceedings without jurisdiction are null and void.
That the court cannot ignore this challenge to its jurisdiction.
That, in the absence of jurisdiction, the sheriff must dismiss the case.
That, should the sheriff decide to proceed without hearing evidence of his jurisdiction, he will be presiding over a court without jurisdiction which is purporting to exercise it.
That, should the sheriff decide to proceed without hearing evidence of his jurisdiction, he will be in contempt of court.
The document follows up with 61 pages of legal authorities to back these statements. The courts can do nothing with it except use bluff and buster to ignore it.
I have been called 'a stupid old man' in court.
I have been repeatedly been confined to police cells when questioning jurisdiction.
I have been twice sent to prison when questioning jurisdiction.
I have been charged with vandalism, then all charges dropped before trial when it became obvious that evidence of police criminal activity would come out. I cannot now reveal that information without risking a stiff prison sentence.
I have been convicted of contempt of court without trial.
SHETLAND DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS, but until people realise how serious things are, they will not stir themselves.
ALL IT NEEDS FOR BAD MEN TO PROSPER IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING.
It is now clear that we have an illegal regime in Shetland. When judges at every level, including the Supreme Court, are willing to break the law and ignore the legislation and their own rules in their efforts to avoid facing the question 'Is Shetland part of Scotland?', we can see that power by Scotland and the UK can only be exercised by naked force - unless we roll over, shut our eyes and pretend there's nothing wrong.
The Scottish and UK governments are not directly to blame. They don't have any choice. Behind the scenes is a much more powerful force, which has governments by the throat. The world of banking and global corporations is run by a small number of very powerful people, to whom you and I (and our governments) are simply pawns in a game that concentrates the world's wealth in the hands of a few - but it's a game we don't have to play. It's a game we need to steer clear of at all cost. "Give me control over a nations currency, and I care not who makes its laws." as Baron M.A. Rothschild is quoted as saying.
These are the intentions of The Sovereign Nation of Shetland:
To provide a means by which the people of Shetland can turn their backs and disengage from the existing corrupt society and set up:
A society with rules its members wish to live by.
A method of governance that places the power of the society in the hands of the people, providing a method of continuous control over its public servants and the money provided to them.
Ways of bringing out the full educational potential of our children.
An equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation and
To co-operate with other entities having the same or similar aims.
To change the world.
This list will be expanded and changed by the members as time goes on.
Disengaging from Scotland and the UK brings the following benefits:
Personal benefit:
The biggest single benefit is regaining the individual sovereignty that is our birthright.
Community benefits:
The Sovereign Nation's democracy system puts the power directly in the hands of the people. It means we have almost instant control over the people we select to public office and the money they spend on our behalf.
Financial benefits:
After we pay all our taxes and get back the grants and subsidies we need to run our society, there is £76 million pounds (2010 official figures) left in the UK treasury for them to spend on illegal wars, MP's expences, high speed trains, the EU and so on. That money, which represents £7,600 per household (and is probably more by now) would come directly into the Shetland economy. It will, for instance, dwarf any projected benefit from the financially risky Viking Energy wind farm.
UK fuel duty does not apply. Fuel is 70% cheaper than today.
There is no VAT. Goods and services are 20% cheaper.
Loans and mortgages come interest-free from our own resources.
The Shetland Gulde is backed by real value and is directly exchangeable with any of the major currencies. It is structured so that it will gradually increase in value against all other currencies.
Membership of The Sovereign Nation of Shetland is only open to people living in Shetland. If you are not in Shetland, you may like to join Forvik, which is open to anyone throughout the world, or make a donation and join as a Friend of the Sovereign Nation. If you are in Orkney and are interested in this action, We would like to hear from you.
To join the Sovereign Nation you sign your Declaration of Sovereignty and make a subscription to support the project. Members donate according to their own wishes. When you sign the Declaration, you will be sent a certificate of membership of the Sovereign Nation. People outside Shetland are also free to donate to the project. If you would like to support these aims, you can join as a Friend of The Sovereign Nation of Shetland - or you can join the international community of Forvik.
As the membership develops, regular meetings will develop strategies to carry the project forward. Everything is done on a consensus basis, with everyone having an equal say.
In times past the people of Shetland were sovereign in the most complete sense and that sovereignty has been passed down to everyone who today owns a house or piece of land in Shetland*. The scariest thing for anyone pretending power here is for the people of Shetland to have that knowledge and start exerting their sovereignty. As The Sovereign Nation of Shetlands grows it will become the legitimate authority.
Stand up, the kings and queens of Shetland! Those who pretend authority here are more scared of us than we need be of them.
If you agree with these aims, but do not wish to make a full commitment, please help with a regular donation:
Thank you.
* Although people owning land are the true hereditors of those rights, The Sovereign Nation of Shetland will be taking steps to ensure that every adult falls into that category. If you are living in council-owned accommodation or private rental, do not be put off from joining.
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The Sovereign Nation of Shetland has no party political or religious affiliations.
