19 Stupid British Laws!

Hello ATS.....The British Legal system only began to update in 1965 but before that there were many laws still in place that while perfectly reasonable at the time, Sound utterly ridiculous now! Some of the best ones for you!

1. It was illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament – simply because if you did you would become under the jurisdiction of the royal coroner and could have been entitled a state funeral.

2. It was also illegal to enter Parliament wearing a suit of armour…

3. In the Cathedral Close of Hereford and within the city walls of Chester it is legal to shoot a Welshman with a long bow. It is also legal to shoot a Scotsman within the city walls of York, providing he is carrying a bow and arrow, except on Sundays of course! These laws were made to keep out Welsh and Scottish invasions before Britain became united as one.

4. It is still legal for a pregnant woman to relieve herself wherever she wants – including in a policeman’s helmet should she have the urge!

5. You cannot enter the hull of the Titanic under the Protection of Wrecks order 2003 without permission of the secretary for state.

6. In Scotland, it is an offence to be drunk whilst in charge of a cow. This law also applies to horses and steam engines across the rest of the country under the Licencing Act 1872.  

7. You must carry a bale of hay in your vehicle at all times, why? To feed the horse of course!

8. In London it is illegal for cab drivers to transport rabid dogs and corpses…

9. Polish potatoes are illegal in England… no seriously, under the Polish Potatoes (Notification) in England Order 2004, “No person shall, in the course of business, import into England potatoes which he knows to be or has reasonable cause to suspect to be Polish potatoes.”

10. It is illegal to gamble in a library as of 1898 – internet gambling is off the cards then! The same law prohibits “abusive or obscene language” in there too.

11. You could be breaking the law if you have a pigsty in front of your house, unless it is duly hidden. As good of an excuse as any to keep your front garden nice and tidy!

12. It is illegal to beat or shake your carpet, mat or rug. You may beat your doormat but only before 8 in the morning!

13. Any washing line that is put up across a street is an illegal erection.

14. It was illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas day – (I know sounds crazy!), But Oliver Cromwell actually banned these yummy treats when he was attempting to tackle rising gluttony.

15. All dead beached whales must be offered to the monarch before you can do anything else with them.

16. The death sentence still applies if you poach a royal deer or allow your pet to mate with a pet from the royal household without due permission.

17. It is still illegal to eat Mute Swan as they belong to the Queen and only she is legally allowed to eat them, weirdly you are an exception if you are a guest of St. John’s College in Cambridge though.

18. The royal family are forbidden from marrying Catholics – clearly created when Henry VIII disowned the Catholic Church and created the Church of England, although it’s hard to imagine this being enforced today.

19. It is illegal to sew the royal coat of arms onto a bed quilt. (It was hard work sewing it in to i tell ya)

To be honest. I find it hard driving corpses around anyway, Because of that stupid bail of hay in the back...I must get a bigger car

Most of these laws sound like they made sense at one time. Some American laws still don't make sense, even 150 years later.

If you are a dog owner, be sure to take care not to violate any of the numerous laws concerning your four-legged pal. If you're planning a short stint in Hartford, Connecticut, you might want to keep your dog's obedience training under wraps. It's against the law to educate dogs in that city.

In many parts of the country, the price of beauty can be stiff. Women in Florida, for example, can be fined for falling asleep under a dryer in a hair salon. And if you're a single thrill-seeker, head some place else. The sunshine state also prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sundays.

In Winona Lake, Wisconsin, it is illegal to eat ice cream at a counter on Sunday. And don't expect to order a slice of cherry pie a la mode in Kansas on the Lord's Day. No restaurant is allowed to serve it unless they're willing to run afoul of local police. Marbles, Dominoes, and yo-yos are also banned on Sundays in a handful of states.

And these laws are still on the books.

So you guys aren't doing so bad.

reply to post by Klassified


Yes i must admit, I do laugh at some if the American laws. They do indeed sound "Out there"

Those are some pretty good ones, but theres a whole lot more i bet.

Nice read, thanks

TheDoctor46


6. In Scotland, it is an offence to be drunk whilst in charge of a cow. This law also applies to horses and steam engines across the rest of the country under the Licencing Act 1872.  

This is not a silly law it's a damn sensible one. Cow's weigh over half a ton and are dumber than a bag of hammers, Horses are barely contained balls of rage and madness and will kill you as soon as look at you, don't even get me started on the amount of times I've almost been killed by a rogue steam engine.

reply to post by Biigs


Your welcome Biigs. Must have been great in the day!!!

reply to post by davespanners


Errr listen sorry dave. That drunk steam engine driver what nearly killed you might have been me. But you would have seen me if you had not had your headphones in listening to THE SMITHS Lol

reply to post by TheDoctor46


and if a steam powered truck
kills the both of us
to die by your side
well the pleasure, the privilege is mine

♬ ♪ ♩♩♩

20. A lorry driver can pee wherever he want, so long as he keeps his right hand on the vehicle.

Tried and tested by me

reply to post by VoidHawk


Hey that sounds like me lol. I just dangle it outta the window like a bad en!!!!......Nee Naw Nee Naw "Blue flashing lights"

the law about shooting a Scotsman in york still stands today,saw it on some mad program i was watching one night and thought well thats york getting body swerved

reply to post by sparky31


Lol yes keep your head down if you ever go down there!...I have heard the locals are heavily armed

TheDoctor46
reply to post by sparky31

 

Lol yes keep your head down if you ever go down there!...I have heard the locals are heavily armed

i,ll just round up the clans if i ever decide to visit

TheDoctor46
reply to post by VoidHawk

 

Hey that sounds like me lol. I just dangle it outta the window like a bad en!!!!......Nee Naw Nee Naw "Blue flashing lights"

LOL
I actually tested it. In a layby on a motorway with cops watching me. I stood by the lorry and unzipped, took a peek and they were staring at me. Put my right hand on the wagon an done my business Took another peek and they looked angry LOL but nothing they could do. That was about 5 years ago though, probably an act of terrorism now.

reply to post by sparky31


Give us a shout if you ever go. I will join your clan for the day. Theres got to be some good spoilings to be had in York

reply to post by VoidHawk
Haha i would have loved to have seen there faces. Oh yes they would be all over you now for sure

reply to post by TheDoctor46
lol well i,ll give you a shout,get your kilt and dress up ready for battle cause in the words of Braveheart we,r no getting dressed up for nothing and remember to be a true Scotsman no pants

reply to post by sparky31


No worries lol. I will have my kilt on and my sword. Hope its not to cold though. I will bring the tennants supers!

In my old hometown, it is still illegal (on the books since the early 1800's) to walk a goat downtown. And this is the 3rd largest city in the state now.

Being from Canada, I'm quite familiar with the stupidity inherent in british law.
On behalf of the Great White North, I'd like to thumb my nose at the Monarchy for saddling the commonwealth nations with some of the most ridiculous, nonsence since the advent of "Prima Nocti".
Anyone who doesn't think this obviously hasn't seen the Canadian Government in action. This may be a comedy clip but it also has the virtue of being entirely true:

Rick Mercer - Everything you wanted to know about Canada but were afraid to ask.

www.youtube.com...

-Peace be with you-

In America we have tons of dumb laws on the books like it being against the law to take a lion with you to the movies or how in Illinois women must refer to their date as master in public.

There are to many to list but here.Links