Legal Definitions - secession

Secession refers to the formal act by which a political unit, such as a state or region, or a group within an organization, chooses to withdraw and separate itself from a larger existing entity. This withdrawal is typically a deliberate and often contentious process aimed at establishing independent governance or association.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a large, culturally distinct province within a federal nation. After years of political debate and a binding public referendum, the provincial government formally declares its intention to separate from the larger country and establish itself as an independent sovereign state.

  This scenario illustrates secession because the province is undertaking the deliberate and formal act of withdrawing its political allegiance and membership from the existing nation-state to form its own independent entity.

• Consider a country that has been a long-standing member of a multi-national economic union. Following a national vote and subsequent negotiations, the country formally notifies the union of its decision to withdraw its membership, thereby ceasing to be bound by the union's common market rules and treaties.

  This demonstrates secession as the country is undertaking the deliberate and formal act of withdrawing its membership from a larger international political and economic association.

• A significant faction within a national professional engineering society becomes deeply dissatisfied with the society's ethical guidelines and leadership. After attempts to reform the society from within fail, this group collectively announces their departure from the existing organization and proceeds to establish a new, independent professional body with revised ethical standards.

  This exemplifies secession because a defined group is formally withdrawing from a larger professional organization to create an independent entity, rather than continuing their association under the existing structure.