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Questions tagged [sovereignty]

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How can I declare independence from the United States and start my own micro nation?

How can I take back my sovereignty from the American government and start my own micro nation? I've read about starting a foreign company with my name in all caps but I want a lawyer's answer.
Gabriel Connor Nelson
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What are "freemen of the land" or "sovereign citizen" theories and do they hold any water?

Various questions so far have asked about the constitutionality, or not, of various freemen theories, which include "Fourteenth Amendment" citizens and is quite possibly a variant of the Sovereign Citizen movement. Essentially, these are theories…
jimsug
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Can a government be bought?

This is more of a thought experiment, but can a government choose to list itself on the market and be bought? For example, if I somehow make a deal with a country's government, can I assume their sovereignty, have their seat on the UN, and make use…
RobertPham
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Why are Jersey and Guernsey not considered sovereign states?

They are not part of the UK (or any other country) and are entirely self-governing. They have the same head of state as the UK but so does e.g. Canada. They are tiny and choose to delegate some government tasks to the UK, but the same could be said…
Brennan Vincent
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Was the Dec. 2018 arrest of Huawei's CFO in Canada legal?

Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of the Chinese company Huawei was recently arrested in Canada, and is facing extradition to the US, allegedly on charges of breaking violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. The thing is, Meng isn't a US national, isn't on US soil and…
Narrateur du chaos
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Claiming my own country

Let's say one day, as I sail across the pacific, I come across an uncharted island. This island is not anywhere near the borders of existing countries. It is unoccupied. Can I put up a flag on the island, state I own this piece of land, and run my…
kevin
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How is Nationality Principle applied in practice?

I was very surprised to see some people thinking that once they step out of their country of citizenship its laws no longer apply to them. It is my understanding that the concept of citizenship includes jurisdiction of the country over its citizens,…
littleadv
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Do British Overseas Territories count as United Kingdom with regards to 90 days rule when applying for British citizenship?

https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen This one of the criteria: Spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months Read the full guidance notes and the requirements booklet before applying. So I've followed the guide and…
Silly mistakes in the past
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Is there any country which would allow one of its territories to declare sovereignty on its own?

Usually when the question is whether a part of a sovereign state could form its own sovereign state, the answer is always that there is no such mechanism but if the currently sovereign state decided to allow it (through a constitutional amendment or…
Nobody
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The difference between a self-governing colony and a dominion

In 1949 Newfoundland became a part of Canada. Before 1949 it was a separate country. This Wikipedia article says in 1907 Newfoundland made the transition from the status of a "self-governing colony" to that of a "dominion". A "dominion" is what…
Michael Hardy
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What are UK laws on the formation of micro-nations?

If someone were to claim land they owned in the UK as an independent nation, and therefore refused to pay taxes or comply with building regulations, what laws would be broken and what legal action might be taken against such a person?
cuayos
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Can the US Congress or Executive unilaterally change interstate compacts after they're established?

There are some notable compacts such as the Great Lakes compact, Atlantic Fisheries compact, etc… that seem to require a large amount of authority to enforce in practice. Theoretically it makes sense for such compacts to be reliant on the…
M. Y. Zuo
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Private military activity

Is there any country that would legally allow a private military organization to take part in a military conflict outside of its own borders? For example, a private military agency established in country A takes part in a conflict between B and C in…
Felix L.
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Is the government of China immune from lawsuits by states and individuals in the US?

Some US states and individuals are suing China over the coronavirus. Is China immune from such lawsuits due to sovereign immunity, or does such immunity only apply to the US government? edit: NYT is now saying that the purpose of the lawsuits is to…
MWB
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Could one buy a whole country?

Imagine a billionaire who is obsessed with the idea of running his own country. The size and geo location does not matter much. What matters is full sovereignty and international recognition. Creating a new country from scratch, even with many…
Greendrake
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