This is the first-ever edited volume solely dedicated to examining pseudolaw, offering in-depth insights into its global growth and alarming adaptability to local legal contexts.
Can you avoid any law you do not consent to? Can you avoid paying taxes by declaring yourself sovereign? Do courts operate under Admiralty or Maritime law? No. But welcome to the strange world of pseudolaw.
This book examines the perplexing and demanding growth of this phenomenon. While it might be tempting to laugh at the ridiculousness of pseudolaw, it is a serious matter. People who make these claims rob themselves of meaningful legal opportunities and impose great costs to themselves and the community. It is also linked to violent extremism and indicative of growing social insecurity.
Part I offers ways to analyse and differentiate pseudolaw from other forms of conspiracy ideation and fringe legal interpretation. Part II examines the history of pseudolegal thinking and surveys contemporary manifestations and practices of pseudolaw, including that of sovereign citizens. Part III explores the rise of far-right extremism, lay-persons in judicial proceedings, fraudulent “get out of jail” schemes, and responses to this phenomenon.
