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We want to find out how the UK Government derives its authority in Shetland. We presume that authority will come from Shetland being part of the UK. As far as we are aware, in Scots law, sovereignty is the same as ownership of the land and the Crown's sovereignty is what will make Shetland part of the UK. We therefore need infomation showing that the Crown owns Shetland. Our initial enquiry, via WhatDoTheyKnow.com, on 9 January 2025 was: Dear Governmentment Legal Department, We are having difficulty finding proof that Shetland is part of Scotland. According to The Laws of Scotland, Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia, Vol.18(42), "The Crown's sovereignty over Scotland and its dominium eminens, its ultimate tenurial superiority, are the same thing, are identical concepts”. At Volume 18(47) it states that "The dominium eminens or ultimate superiority of the Crown is allodial, because not held of a higher lord, except of God". We want to know: 1) Do you accept The Laws of Scotland, Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia as a binding authority in Scotland? and 2) Are we correct in thinking that the Crown's sovereignty in Scotland is the same as its allodial ownership? 3) Are we correct in thinking that, for the Crown to have sovereignty in Shetland, it must have allodial ownership of Shetland? 4) If we are correct at 2) and 3) above, do you have proof that the Crown holds the allodial title of Shetland? Yours faithfully, The Sovereign Nation of Shetland -------------------------------------- They replied the same day: Dear The Sovereign Nation of Shetland, Thank you for your email on 9 January 2025, containing your request for information. The Government Legal Department ("GLD") are considering your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ("FOIA"). GLD will aim to respond within 20 working days from receipt of your request. If you have any questions regarding the handling of your request for information, please contact us. Yours sincerely, Freedom of Information Team Information Rights Team COO Group Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9GL [email address] -------------------------------------- Then, two days before the expiry date for a response, came a letter with a file name 'Final Response': Dear The Sovereign Nation of Shetland, Find herewith GLD's response to your request for information made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Yours sincerely, Freedom of Information Team Information Rights Team COO Group Government Legal Department 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9GL The most senior authority in the UK does not hold the information and they direct us to the Advocate General of Scotland. -------------------------------------- By a strange coincidence, when we came to make the next request on WhatDoTheyKnow.com, we were met with a message saying we are banned from the site, which is why we have been forced into setting up our own as a public record. We do not think they can absolve themselves from the responsibility and consequences of not holding this information. See next request.