Steve Ogier - King of Everland

[D-C]

Everland cannot be considered a state because it does not have a population, Deputy Bailiff Richard McMahon said yesterday, rejecting arguments that earthworms and insects living there meant it did.

Mr McMahon was sitting in the Ordinary Division of the Royal Court to hear an application from the Development & Planning Authority for an injunction against Steve Ogier.

Mr Ogier owns an area of land off Ruette du Frocq and earlier this year he said this was to be known as Everland, and he declared it to be independent and that he was its king.

He wants to build a home for himself on the site and cannot because of planning laws.

Three compliance notices have been issued by Planning since then telling him to stop his activities. These related to excavation work, a dry stone wall and a timber shed.

In court, Mr Ogier argued that under the terms of the Montevideo Convention of 1933 concerning the rights and duties of states, Everland was an independent state and as such he did not recognise the Guernsey court’s jurisdiction.

He argued that even though nobody lived on the land, it could be considered to have a population as a result of the wildlife there, such as insects and earthworms.

After hearing Mr Ogier’s arguments, Mr McMahon retired and on his return said that based on the material he had looked at, he had reached the conclusion that Everland was not a sovereign state, nor a ‘micro nation’.

The Montevideo Convention referred to a state having a population that was a stable community, which was not the case with Everland.

‘Although there maybe an element of absurdity in the way the argument has been developed by Mr Ogier, I take the view that any challenge to the jurisdiction of this court must be taken seriously,’ said Mr McMahon.

Advocate Robin Gist, representing the DPA, moved ahead with his application for an injunction.

He said its purpose was to prevent Mr Ogier doing any more work and it was borne out of concerns that he might start again at any time.

However, Mr Ogier said that he was prepared to make a formal undertaking not to proceed with any development on the land. ‘I don’t intend to do any more work until I can prove I am an independent country,’ he said.

Mr McMahon told Mr Ogier that if he breached that undertaking he would be at risk of going to prison.

Advocate Gist said the DPA would accept this undertaking.

Mr Ogier, who gave his address for service as Teran, Robergerie Road, St Sampson’s, asked the court if he could apply to have the compliance notices set aside.

But Mr McMahon said that this would be a matter for a planning appeal

https://guernseypress.com/news/2018/10 ... ht-to-un/

[TheNewSaint]

Ruette du Frocq would be a great Discworld villain.

For that matter, so would King of Everland.

[longdog]

Sounds more like a soft cheese to me.

[The Seventh String]

On a purely pedantic note, this thread is in the wrong place. Guernsey is not part of the UK, but a Crown Dependency, part of the Queen’s personal feudal holdings. The British monarch also being also the Duke of Normandy since 1066. Then again, there’s no better place available for it.

So for Mr Ogier to have his independant statelet HM would have to agree to cede part of her hereditary fief to him. Somehow, I doubt this is likely.

And fortunately for Mr Ogier, Guernsey abolished the death penalty for high treason in 2003.

[Gregg]

But the UK could declare war, invade and he might assume room temperature while defending his country.

[rosy]

I would very much like to observe him arguing that earthworms are people too. It's a similar but opposing argument to the freeloaders on the land's argument that people are fictional strawmen or corporations, and I can imagine that a blending of the two arguments could be thoroughly entertaining.

[Tevildo]

For that matter, so would King of Everland.

Hmm - I think it would be better as a 25-minute track by Yes or ELP or someone of that ilk.

[MaritalArtist]

For that matter, so would King of Everland.

Hmm - I think it would be better as a 25-minute track by Yes or ELP or someone of that ilk.

In The Court Of The Everland King?

[ArthurWankspittle]

For that matter, so would King of Everland.

Hmm - I think it would be better as a 25-minute track by Yes or ELP or someone of that ilk.

In The Court Of The Everland King?

Currently 2/3 off. (Tasteless joke nicked from somewhere else on the internet months back.)