A charge of Refusal to Vote has been dropped by a Victorian court after a Plea of No Jurisdiction was issued.

Ursula Howard refused to vote in the Federal election on the 10th of November 2001.

She was issued with a summons to appear in court.

She rang the courts and explained that she would be pleading No Jurisdiction due to the fact that she supports Indigenous sovereignty and cannot vote for a Government actively committing genocide upon indigenous peoples.

She followed it up with the following letter:

I, Ursula Howard, refused to vote in the Federal Election on the 10th of November 2001.

I PLEAD NO JURISDICTION as there are no legal documents evidencing the fully-informed consent of the original peoples of this land - the 500 nations - and in particular the Boonwurrung Balluk where this court is situated, without duress or undue influence, to justify the illegal occupation and jurisdiction of the commonwealth over this land and people, both indigenous and non-indigenous. As there are no legal documents of consent you have no jurisdiction over me.

I am in the process of understanding and of going through Indigenous Customs to legitimise my occupation of this land. I am aware that Terra Nullius has been recycled through the "Native Title" act and the governments' jurisdiction is founded on Genocide. Furthermore, even under the commonwealth's illegal law system i am not guilty as theconstitution clearly states in section 116 - you cannot make laws that prohibit freedom of religion.

My spirituality and conscience prevents me from voting for a system which is actively committing Genocide against the Indigenous peoples of this land. There is no law to prevent or punish Genocide under the commonwealth's illegal law system. It is uncivilised, barbaric, and Genocidal. I therefore refused to vote for these reasons and will continue to refuse to vote whilst the system maintains its illegal, Genocidal control. You have no jurisdiction over me or anyone on this continent.

Ursula Howard
2nd September 2002

A phone call came back from the court saying they did not want to set a precedent like this so the charges will be dropped.

A letter followed asking her to disregard and destroy the summons.

Please copy, distribute and use this story freely.

It is evidence that the Government, their laws, their systems of domination and genocide are illegal on this continent and that they have no jurisdiction whatsoever over anybody.

There is however LORE in this country.