News / Stuart Hill welcomes July court case
SHETLAND independence campaigner Stuart Hill has welcomed the opportunity to challenge the UK’s authority after being told to appear in Lerwick Sheriff Court later this month for road traffic offences.
The 68 year old was arrested last Tuesday after police surrounded his Mercedes van while he was parked outside JB’s Autostore, on Lerwick’s North Road.
Rather than carrying a UK tax disc, Mr Hill has registered the vehicle with the island of Forewick Holm, which lies off Shetland’s west coast between Papa Stour and Sandness, that he has renamed Forvik.
After his arrest Mr Hill said he was held in the police cells for five hours before being released and told he would be appearing in court on 27 July. The police have kept his van and his mobile phone and SIM card as evidence.
This is the second of Mr Hill’s “consular” vehicles from Forvik to be held by Lerwick police, after he was arrested in another Mercedes van on 15 June.
Two years ago the police seized and destroyed a Land Rover he had parked in a passing place in Sandness that was not registered for use on Britain’s roads.
On Friday Mr Hill said he had been trying to be taken to court for the past three years since he had set up his independent state of Forvik in 2008.
He said: “I welcome this opportunity to challenge the authority of the UK in Shetland. The court is the foundation of authority here and I don’t believe the police, the courts or any other UK so-called authority has any legitimate power here whatsoever.”
Mr Hill is also involved in an action against Royal Bank of Scotland in the Court of Session, in which he says they are trying to stop him from winding up their company over an outstanding claim he has made against them.
He has also had a number of recent appearances in the High Court in London on the same issue.
“All that has stood me in good stead for what is going to happen in Lerwick Sheriff Court,” he said.
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