Stuart Hill is a resident of Shetland, ‘Scotland.’ Scotland is in quotation marks here because Hill believes that Shetland is not, and never was, a part of Scotland. Nor does he think it is part of the UK, or the European Union, for that matter.
His argument? There is absolutely no proof that Shetland ever became a part of Scotland. And he has done the historical research that backs this up,
“The only powers granted to King James III of Scotland in 1469, when he accepted these islands as security in the matter of payment of a marriage dowry, were those of trustee. His Majesty was holding them in trust until they were redeemed by King Christian of Denmark and Norway or his successors. The Plenipotentiaries of Europe confirmed in the 1667 Peace and Treaty of Breda that these arrangements remained in full force at that time and nothing has happened since then to give the monarch any further rights or powers.”
Note that Hill does not treat this as simply a research project. He has tangled with law enforcement and the courts on more than one occasion–and has served time — as a result of his stance of not recognizing the jurisdiction of Scottish courts on residents of Shetland in the first place. Like many pioneers who delve into the murky waters of the judicial system from a place of truth and integrity about our Natural Rights and Freedoms, he has been met with puzzlement and confusion in some cases, and arrogance and ridicule in others. He has experienced first-hand the resistance of people of authority ‘within’ the system who do not react very kindly to challenges to the grounds of their authority as such.
Claiming The Island Of Forvik
Having actually and metaphorically gotten shipwrecked onto Shetland some 17 years ago after trying to circumnavigate the UK in a boat he made himself (a story in itself described in this article), it seemed like the universe meant him to relocate to this remote northern district, to try to flesh out and realize his beliefs about the individual sovereignty of human beings and the corruption and falsity of the current political and economic order.
This public notice on his website bears witness to his unilateral declaration of the independence of Shetland:
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 The Crown produced no proof that Shetland is part of Scotland when required to do so at Lerwick Sheriff Court on 16 August 2011. Since that time courts at every level in the Scottish System, including the Supreme Court in London, have evaded the question when challenged. All proceedings in those courts in relation to Shetland are therefore null and void.
You are hereby notified that the court continued to exercise its alleged authority with no proof of its jurisdiction.
With this knowledge you are hereby advised that, in exercising your alleged authority, you 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.
In the context of Shetland and the residents upon it being their own authority, Hill has laid claim in particular to the independence of Forvik, a small island within the district of Shetland, which Hill is the self-appointed authority of, and upon which he has maintained occasional (and sole) residence.
One could hardly argue that Hill has declared himself King of this small territory for any personal gain or benefit. This article gives important insights into why waging political and legal battles and risking going to jail has a larger purpose for Hill, one that will resonate with the Awakening Community:
He says his goal is to establish an alternative administration in Shetland, and what he calls a ‘fairer society’ than the one he left behind the in UK. He says he’s become disillusioned, as many have, with the obfuscation of 21st century democracy by ‘politicians, lawyers, pointless middlemen, basically’. There has to be a better way, he says.
Since declaring independence for Forvik in 2008, Hill has sold more than 200 ‘citizenships’ on his island, with full members entitled to participate in the island’s ‘direct democracy’ system, a sort-of internet polling system to decide consensus on key issues. What key issues an island with a land mass totaling around 2.5 acres, and with only one occasional resident, faces is unclear. But it’s the principle which Hill is trying to establish.
“Forvik is a microcosm, basically, operating under a direct democracy system that gives power to the people, not politicians. It’s my hope that Forvik will provide an example for Shetland to follow and that Shetland in turn will provide an example for other countries and regions, the people of which would prefer a system where their politicians represent, rather than rule them.”
“If the electorate is empowered to instruct officials directly, do we have any need for politicians and all that goes with them? No politicians, no MP’s expenses, no illegal wars, no lobbying, no control by big business and bankers.”
A Harbinger
Stuart Hill is one of those rare people who has come ready to fight for truth and principles despite the enormous weight of opposition, not only from the duplicitous rulers of the status quo but also from fellow citizens who do not yet have the vision and understanding to see our Natural Rights out in front of us ready to be grasped and held on to.
In this way he is a harbinger, one of the strong rays of light that helps to bring what has long been hidden into view. The Awakening Community must applaud the efforts of people like Stuart Hill, because they not only help us to realize ourselves as fully sovereign, but they pave the way for our work of transforming our societies in ways that reflect this sovereignty.