The ‘brilliant’ takedown of a ‘sovereign citizen’ by a Melbourne City Council worker trying to avoid a parking fine

A Melbourne City Council worker has gone viral for shutting down a “sovereign citizen” who tried to contest a $110 parking fine.

The comedic but professional exchange reveals a Monash City Council official’s five-page response to a bizarre appeal by a parishioner who was fined for parking in a loading zone in Oakleigh.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: “Sovereign citizens share bizarre Steve Irwin conspiracy.

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The October incident recently went viral as hundreds of people praised the staffer’s “brilliant” response to a query from what appears to be a sovereign citizen.

Members of the Sovereign Citizens’ Movement believe they are not bound by the law, question the legitimacy of government, and typically believe they should not pay taxes or fines.

In this case, the individual wrote to the council claiming that they had “no legal or valid claims” against them as they had “committed no crime, broken/broken any law”.

However, the Council’s legal secretary thought differently.

They begin the letter by saying “I will address your letter as if you had made a legitimate request”, but made it clear that they were aware that the complainant was copying and pasting a “pro forma letter from a website”. had.

Such letters are frequently shared in sovereign conspiracy theory groups.

The justice official also points to the citizen in his “confusing” reasoning, which refers to failed referendums, Queen Elizabeth and incorrect legal jargon.

“You appear to have serious misunderstandings on a variety of principles of law,” the justice official said.

They go on to say the person’s argument was “absurd” when she claimed it was “impossible to value the Australian dollar”.

“While the Australian currency is made of plastic, the Australian dollar is assigned a value under the Currency Act 1965,” they wrote.

“Please note that you appear to be implying that you are unable to pay the infringement notice … and that this claim would have no legal basis.”

The judicial officer ends the lengthy response by confirming that the citizen’s claim was unfounded and that the fine was lawfully imposed.

According to Vic Roads, illegal parking in a loading zone carries a $110 fine.

The Council answers

dr Monash City Council CEO Andi Diamond confirmed that the response was sent from a council official to a community member who had made several spurious legal arguments.

“Our officer has taken a factual, legal approach in his replies, as he is required to do when assessing requests for review under the relevant laws,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.

“While the Council understands that members of the community may find it amusing and interpret the Council making a statement regarding people’s beliefs – which is not the Council’s business – that was certainly not the intention of the reply letter to the parking fine complaint , where various legal claims were merely clarified.”

Several social media users praised the justice officer’s response, saying they had been patient as they created a “brilliant complete dismantling” of a “classic sovereign citizen” complaint.

“This is so brilliantly and unnecessarily well-written. I feel the author gets a kick out of it,” one person said.

“Sovcit legalese: say the magic words and the fines go away,” added another.

Explain the “foreign”.

Sovereign citizens consider themselves “immune” from the law, explains David Heilpern, dean of Southern Cross University.

“By declaring themselves separated from the law, they believe it doesn’t apply to them,” he previously told 7NEWS.com.au.

“A lot of these people are breaking away from the law simply by saying they don’t agree.”

While Heilpern personally finds the belief system “strange,” he said there are different levels at which people follow the movement.

“Some people just want to defy the law and question things, which can certainly be a good thing,” he said.

“But on the other end … it’s very dangerous because it’s essentially free for everyone.”

Heilpern said police have reported an increase in people joining the movement and said they pose a real threat.

“I think one of the reasons … is a disillusionment with government, especially since COVID-19,” he said.

“People who are against vaccines or masks have carried that disillusionment onto other ideologies and one of those is sovereign citizenship where they just believe the law doesn’t apply to them.”