Micronations: A lacuna in the law

Hobbs, Harry; Williams, George

doi:10.1093/icon/moab020

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Hobbs and Williams define micronations more generally as 'self-declared nations that perform and mimic acts of sovereignty, and adopt many of the protocols of nations, but lack a basis in national and international law for their existence and are not recognised as nations in national or international fora' (Hobbs & Williams, 2021). This includes all the characteristics of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda (REML), thus defining it as a micronation.…”

Section: Understanding Micronations: Different Approaches and Definit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Virtual Sovereignty: Examining the Legal Status of Micronations in Cyberspace Through the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

Zhuk

2023

DISO

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This paper examines the legal status of micronations claiming virtual sovereignty in cyberspace, using the case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda (REML) as an example. The REML is a micronation that claims to have virtual sovereignty over a network of individuals who share its values and beliefs. Through an in-depth analysis of existing literature and sources, this paper explores the legal implications of virtual sovereignty and the challenges that micronations face in establishing legitimacy in the international community. The paper concludes that while the lack of recognition of virtual states by the international community limits their ability to engage in formal relations with other states, virtual sovereignty raises important questions about the concept of statehood in the digital age. This paper suggests that further research is needed to explore the legal and practical implications of virtual sovereignty and to develop new frameworks for determining the legitimacy of virtual states.

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Section: Understanding Micronations: Different Approaches and Definit...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Micronations, by their nature, exist outside the established legal framework of recognised sovereign states. As such, they do not have the same legal status as recognised states, and their legal status is often a matter of debate and interpretation (Hobbs & Williams, 2021).…”

Section: Examining the Legal Status Of Micronations In Cyberspacementioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual Sovereignty: Examining the Legal Status of Micronations in Cyberspace Through the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

Zhuk

2023

DISO

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“…It is a micronation. A micronation is a selfdeclared nation that performs and mimics acts of sovereignty and adopts many of the protocols of nations, but lacks a foundation in domestic and international law for its existence and is not recognised as a nation in domestic or international forums (Hobbs & Williams, 2021, 2022a. There are hundreds of micronations around the globe that adopt similar strategies to Liberland.…”

Section: What Is a Micronation?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyber Micronations and Digital Sovereignty

Hobbs,

Hayward,

Motum

2023

DISO

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The Internet has spurred the development of thousands of virtual nations. Located entirely online, these micronations claim sovereignty over vast stretches of cyberspace and engage in performative rituals of statehood. They draft constitutions, compose national anthems, sell citizenship, and sometimes, confuse or confound ordinary people. What are these entities and why do their founders and proponents purport to be a state? What legal and ethical challenges do cyber micronations provoke, and how do they challenge orthodox conceptions of the state? This brief communication considers these questions.

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“…10 Microstate statehood in International Law: Legal analysis of the case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda Thus, for example, we can see that entities with a very small or non-existent territory, a small population or a completely ineffective or non-existent government are still considered and treated as states. There is simply no rule that prescribes a minimum area of territory, population or governmental effectiveness (Hobbs and Williams 2021;Crawford 2006).…”

Section: Statehood and International Legal Personality In Internationalmentioning

confidence: 99%

States and Micronations in Cyberspace under Public International Law: A Legal Analysis of the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

Zhuk

2022

Preprint

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The purpose of this article is to analyse whether the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda (¨REML¨) can be considered a micronation or a State under public international law, based on existing doctrine and the actual situation of other states similar to the REML, whose performance in the legal framework of public international law has led to a rethinking of basic postulates. Both cases analyse whether a nation and a State can exist solely in cyberspace. For the purposes of this article, the analysis is based on the following assumptions: 1.- More than one REML can exist, and for the purposes of this conclusion, possible problems arising from the use of the same flag or name are not considered. 2.- It is assumed that the REML that is the subject of this study was created first and is the subject of the document in Appendix 1–3, which is assumed to be correct in date, content and other considerations. 3.- As a working assumption, it is assumed that the REML has a territory (consisting of a sovereign and its space) and that the entire population of the REML is a sovereign.

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Micronations: A lacuna in the law

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Virtual Sovereignty: Examining the Legal Status of Micronations in Cyberspace Through the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

Virtual Sovereignty: Examining the Legal Status of Micronations in Cyberspace Through the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

Cyber Micronations and Digital Sovereignty

States and Micronations in Cyberspace under Public International Law: A Legal Analysis of the Case of the Republic of Errant Menda Lerenda

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