Following our article on barrister Daniel ShenSmith yesterday, we just had to bring you another one of his powerful videos to demonstrate how you absolutely must not be intimidated by Establishment tyranny.
In this video Mr ShenSmith shared how he has been repeatedly hounded by TV Licensing letters despite filing official declarations that he does not watch or record live TV, doesn’t use BBC iPlayer, and therefore does not need a licence. Yet the pressure hasn’t stopped.
Just ask yourself, how many people have Mr ShenSmith’s knowledge of the law and processes so that they have the confidence and expertise to take the BBC to court?! The BBC and the TV Licence Agency know that most people won’t have any legal knowledge or such confidence to challenge their repeated notices that imply legal consequences. That is why they keep on sending aggressive and intimidating letters.
What would you do if the BBC, the UK’s biggest broadcaster, kept on sending you enforcement letters (albeit through a third party agency) even if you don’t use their services that require payment? If an “ordinary member of the public” sent similar letters implying possible enforcement action or “investigation” without evidence, that behaviour could easily be, and indeed has been classed as harassment under criminal law.
That is exactly the point: based on evidence, there seem to be two rules. One for ordinary citizens like you and us, who face intimidating correspondence that could cost thousands in fines or court costs, and an entirely different rule for Establishment-backed institutions such as the BBC. They can send repeated threatening letters without fear of consequences. All of this is funded by the licence fee, meaning taxpayers are effectively paying to be pressured to comply with the BBC’s policies.
The enforcement of TV licence laws is already a real example of how people can be criminalised for relatively minor administrative matters. Tens of thousands of people are prosecuted each year for non-payment of the licence fee, with more than 25,550 prosecutions recorded in 2024 alone! Many of these lead to fines and court appearances, and even imprisonment if they refuse to pay court-imposed fines after conviction.
This isn’t about whether you agree with the licence fee, it’s about the means used to enforce compliance. The Establishment can issue intimidating letters that imply legal risk which in many cases frighten the recipients. The Establishment turns to private contractors for such enforcement, and creates a system where people are routinely prosecuted, often without clear understanding of their rights, When this is common practice, largely unreported by the mainstream media, especially the BBC itself, it tells us we are living in a society where fear is used to control and financially drain the everyday man and woman. There are traits here that scream of cult-like tactics, if not mafia-type..
Most citizens will not have the legal grasp to know exactly when they are or aren’t breaking the law, especially when they receive an official-looking document with threatening language. They will comply out of fear, not understanding. That is how narrative control and behavioural compliance happen in practice, not by overt orders, but by creating a climate where people are afraid to challenge the system.
The solution isn’t anger or avoidance, it’s to empower yourself. People need to become aware of how the Establishment uses administrative processes to exert pressure, and push back peacefully and knowledgeably where policies overreach. Know your rights, demand transparency, and get involved in shaping systems of justice that respect both compliance and fairness. You can follow Mr ShenSmith on his Youtube channel, where you can start to educate yourself on your rights regarding such issues. Free speech, informed consent, and legal accountability are the cornerstones of a society worth defending and refusing to be intimidated by bureaucratic pressure is part of that defence.
As a starting point, you can learn more here about our class action against the BBC. You can also read more about how the BBC abused their influence in our open letter to President Donald Trump. We would love to hear your thoughts on these initiatives, as well as any experience you have had with the BBC and its enforcement of the licence fee.
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You’re right. I don’t have Mr ShenSmith’s legal knowledge and understanding of how the system works. I’m grateful for people like him and everyone here doing this work. It looks like it’s on… indeed Mr ShenSmith! God bless and protect you in all you do and your loved ones.
It’s great to see someone standing up and suing the BBC for harassment. So many people do not know they can challenge, they can contest threatening letters, now with Daniel ShenSmith taking action, and thank you for your guidance, citizens can and will start taking action.
Intimidation and fear tactics are not uncommon among Establishment institutions, including the BBC. Many people lack the knowledge or confidence to respond effectively, let alone the support needed to navigate such situations. At Citizen Intervention Global, we are committed to providing that support, drawing on what we have learned and experienced ourselves. God bless Daniel ShenSmith for his work in educating the public and offering a platform for people to seek guidance — as we are doing also. Thank you.
I appreciate Daniel ShenSmith for taking a stand against what he describes as the BBC’s licence fee system and for highlighting that people do have choices. Many feel intimidated by large institutions and the authority they appear to hold, which is why it’s so important that individuals done together and support each other.
When we come together and share, we can stand up against bullies and for increased righteous choice. Thank you, Mr ShenSmith.
It’s no surprise they are targeting Mr ShenSmith, especially as someone so openly criticising the BBC’s licensing policy and practices and what’s more, helping to inform the public how to not be intimidated and bullied on this themselves. As he said, he’s not had any trouble for years and yet, now they are on his case and if I know anything from experience with the establishment, they will not let up. This establishment will use every trick-nicality in the system to go after it’s opponents and those opposing their tyranny.
Isn’t it interesting the point especially in this article about how little the mainstream media and the BBC especially report in the licence fee and the licence fee agency’s practices against every day citizens? Again, they need to be quiet on this in order to continue with their harassment and financial scamming of the public. No above board, fair and just system would need to operate this way. They absolutely are like a mafia!
I really appreciate how Daniel ShenSmith is very clear that he won’t be intimidated and that he is educating the public on why they shouldn’t be either. At the same time he makes a very key point… people shouldn’t be forced to pay for something they don’t want or need!
Hmmm… they rely on people’s ignorance and scare them into paying when they don’t need to. It’s disgusting behaviour.
But Black Belt Barrister is a star. He’s fighting for the greater good and equipping ordinary people with knowledge so they’re not bullied into compliance. That’s powerful.
This is exactly why citizen intervention matters. Most people don’t have the legal know-how, and institutions often bank on that. When someone breaks things down clearly and calmly, it levels the field. Knowledge removes fear.
The key now is this: don’t just feel outrage — build competence. Learn the principles. Share accurate information responsibly. Help others without fuelling panic. That’s how you turn frustration into strength.
The cowardly BBC rely on intimidation tactics, a lack of understanding of the law and the institutionalisation of citizens to force their licence fee. Their desperation is palpable, they are losing their audience and tv fee payers…rapidly. If only they put this much resources and energy into investigating their sinister underbelly and the many depraved members of staff they have employed over the years.
It’s not just the enforcement that feels like harassment — the fee itself doesn’t even pay for a clear service. You can watch “live TV” that isn’t BBC at all and they still insist the money goes to them. How is that fair? They don’t provide or regulate all TV, so claiming a right to charge everyone is deeply misleading. It starts to look less like a licence and more like a compulsory levy dressed up as one.
What strikes me here is how only a few people per 1,000 of the population would have Mr ShenSmith’s legal knowledge to fight the BBC at their own game. That shows how many people the BBC can actually bully. The epitome of two-tier justice.
If the BBC is as good as they tell us they are, why do we need to pay for it?
If they are as amazing as their own adverts say they are, then surely the BBC would thrive on a voluntary subscription model of funding?
The licence fee was designed 100 years ago for government to invest in infrastructure and standardisation of receiving equipment for the new radio broadcast technology being developed. The licence fee has now served it’s purpose and needs to be abolished.