As coverage over the fatal shooting of two police officers in rural Victoria continues, media have reported the alleged shooter, self-identified as a “very active” sovereign citizen.

A number of experts point to a growing trend in pseudo-law and  sovereign citizen movement, a marginal ideology that rejects Australia’s laws and has at times, been linked with violence.

So, how do active sovereign citizens claim they are immune from Australia’s laws?

Image: Wikimedia Commons – CC BY-SA 4.0: Merrrittt

Produced By: Emma Wotzke

Featured In Story: Dr Harry Hobbs – Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice at UNSW, and

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 28 August 2025