Book forum hosted by UNSW Law & Justice, discussing Outlawed Responding to Sovereign Citizens and the Global Rise of Legal Conspiracies
UNSW Law & Justice invites you to a book forum on Outlawed Responding to Sovereign Citizens and the Global Rise of Legal Conspiracies by Harry Hobbs and Stephen Young
This event will take place at UNSW Bookshop, Kensington.
Drinks and nibbles will be served for attendees.
Outlawed explores one of the most dangerous and misunderstood movements of our time: the global rise of pseudolaw and sovereign citizen ideology.
Sharp, empathetic and unsettling, Outlawed asks a vital question: if so many people are turning to fake law in search of justice, what has gone wrong with the real thing?
Outlawed traces the hidden connective tissue between courtroom theatrics, viral traffic stop videos, fraudulent “common law” courts, and acts of deadly extremism. From unhappy New Zealand ratepayers to North American farm foreclosures to Australian pandemic protests, from German coup plots to suburban family courts, Outlawed reveals how legal conspiracy theories spread, mutate, and radicalise ordinary people.
Blending true crime, investigative reporting, legal analysis and cultural critique, Outlawed shows that pseudolaw is not fringe. It is a commodity sold by charismatic gurus. It is a performance staged for online audiences. And it is a symptom of a deeper crisis: collapsing trust in law, democracy and institutions.
The stories revealed are both bizarre and consequential. Pseudolaw has migrated from the fringes to the mainstream, spreading online alongside conspiracy theories, wellness grifts, and populist discontent. It must be understood to be stopped.
The book will be discussed by the author Dr Harry Hobbs (UNSW Law & Justice) and Dr Stephen Young (University of Otago, NZ)..
Chaired by: Dr Elisabeth Perham (UNSW Law & Justice)
About the Author:
Dr Harry Hobbs is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at UNSW. Harry's primary research interests are in public law and the rights of Indigenous people, but alongside this work examines the phenomenon of micronations and the growth of sovereign citizens and pseudolaw adherents in Australia and their impact on the administration of justice.
Dr Stephen Young is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Otago. He is a socio-legal and critical legal scholar who examines how legal subjects are made and when legal systems clash.