A growing anti-government movement in Australia is challenging the authority of the courts, councils and cops.
Some call themselves sovereign citizens, others freedom fighters.
Supercharged during the COVID lockdowns, the movement’s rising influence and resolve has made it one of the judiciary's primary concerns.
They’re flooding the legal system with pseudolaw claims, staging their own “trials” and targeting officials with campaigns of harassment and intimidation. While they claim to be peaceful, many express the desire for an armed population, ready to act against what they see as an oppressive government.
This week on Four Corners, reporter Mahmood Fazal embeds with key figures inside the movement to see how it operates. From “sheriffs” serving their own court orders to government departments, to local council meetings overrun by anti-vax activists.
Lawfare traces how the movement is trying to exert influence across Australia. Legal experts explain how this seemingly victimless civil disobedience can sometimes escalate into intimidation, violence and serious risks to public safety.
The investigation exposes a movement that’s testing the limits of Australian law and the institutions meant to uphold it.
It examines the human and institutional impact of the movement and the danger to our democracy if it’s not taken seriously.