Stupid And/Or Weird Laws

[texanarob]

In England it's still illegal to eat Christmas pudding. Old law that never got revoked from the puritans lol.

That would be fun to enforce, additional taxes to pay cops forced overtime on Christmas day around the time of the Queen's speech, not for security, but to prevent unlawful consumption of fruit cake.

 

[kortin]

Maybe because they want you to buy gunpowder. It's all for money reasons.

At least that's the only justification I see for that.

Remember that gunpowder is also louder. Spring-loaded is essentially silent.

 

[Vegosiux]

It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing.

So play it safe and don't ever tell a tax man anything at all?

 

[BlackStar42]

It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing.

So play it safe and don't ever tell a tax man anything at all?

Or just run and hide in the cellar

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

One incident occured in 2005, when officials actually went to several Wal Marts in Quebec City and 'confiscated' a number of tubs of Bercel yellow margarine, with a 'street value' of two hundred-and-some-such dollars.

I think it's worse that someone was willing to pay over $200 for yellow margarine. Oh, wait, you mean a total from a number of tubs.

At least your booze is cheaper than in Ontario.

 

[ElPatron]

Maybe because they want you to buy gunpowder. It's all for money reasons.

At least that's the only justification I see for that.

1. You can manufacture powder from grinding match heads. If you buy survivalist books they teach ways to produce blackpowder from raw materials. You can also just buy ammunition, pull the bullets and use the smokeless powder.

2. The government doesn't sell powder.

3. (follow up to number 2) There are hundreds of companies making powder. Even if the biggest ones were pushing these laws, that move would not guarantee profit because people would buy from other brands. Also, almost nobody makes these knives as they are extremely unsafe and useless compared to a regular firearm. Bullets are stabilized in flight, knives are not and can end up hitting arse first.

No, it's not the money.

Maybe because they want you to buy gunpowder. It's all for money reasons.

At least that's the only justification I see for that.

Remember that gunpowder is also louder. Spring-loaded is essentially silent.

But the range of a Spetsnaz knife is around 5 meters. If you want to be "silent" you can just run up to someone from behind and stab him, or even throw the knife.

And let's not forget that stabbing someone from a distance is far from silent. You cannot reliably empty the victim's lungs or cover the mouth to prevent screaming.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Gravity.


I know that there still a law in Chester that allows you to shooot a Welshman after sunset.
Also that you're not allowed to wear silly glasses that cause laughter into a church in Alabama

 

[Dags90]

First the Norwegian butter crisis, now this margarine madness.

My go-to example. It's illegal to fuel your own vehicle in New Jersey. I've been driving for five years and never done it myself.

It's illegal to delay or detain someone's homing pigeon.

 

[Surpheal]

It is illegal in the city of Detroit to have a pet pig without a nose ring.

Also, I believe that Alabama didn't repeal its slavery laws until around the year 2000.

 

[Easton Dark]

In Yorkshire, it is legal to shoot a Scotsman found inside the city walls of York on a sunday.

This does not auger well for me, as I'm Scottish, live near York, and regularly go there (in fact I used to work there).

So apparently it is still legal in certain towns of England to shoot a Welshman or a Scotsman with a longbow or crossbow. However it can only be done within the city walls and after midnight. Although in Hereford it is illegal to shoot a Welshman in a cathedral on Sundays.

What? So they... still have discrimination and... I don't know what to call it, extermination?

Extermination of a people (genocide) is still legal in some towns at a certain time? How? Why?

 

[Laser Priest]

Some Italian village made a law that prohibited dying!

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1145160--italian-village-makes-it-illegal-to-die

Well, it's quite hard to arrest a corpse isn't it, so that's kind of pointless..

Mayor Giulio Cesare Fava issued the tongue-in-cheek decree because the village has no cemetery and it is feuding with a nearby town that has one ? creating a logistical problem about what to do with the deceased.

There actually is a point, as silly as it is.

 

[Fiad]

In Nebraska where I am from it is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup. Doubt anyone actually follows this one, but if an upset cop caught someone selling without brewing, they could be fined.

And another from my fine state, If a child burps during church, his parent may be arrested.

And just for the absurdity of it, In Nebraska it is illegal to go whale fishing. For those of you not good with states. Open up a US map, look dead center. There is Nebraska. Now think of why this is absurd.

 

[batti]

And just for the absurdity of it, In Nebraska it is illegal to go whale fishing. For those of you not good with states. Open up a US map, look dead center. There is Nebraska. Now think of why this is absurd.

Maybe it´s to prevent companies based in Nebraska from owning whalers, closing the loophole that would allow people to hunt whales, as long as the company is based in Nebraska

A lot of these "stupid laws" are really just for closing absurd and weird legal loopholes, like that fact that you could own a pet bear while studying at Cambridge(true story)

 

[Stu35]

In Yorkshire, it is legal to shoot a Scotsman found inside the city walls of York on a sunday.

This does not auger well for me, as I'm Scottish, live near York, and regularly go there (in fact I used to work there).

So apparently it is still legal in certain towns of England to shoot a Welshman or a Scotsman with a longbow or crossbow. However it can only be done within the city walls and after midnight. Although in Hereford it is illegal to shoot a Welshman in a cathedral on Sundays.

What? So they... still have discrimination and... I don't know what to call it, extermination?

Extermination of a people (genocide) is still legal in some towns at a certain time? How? Why?

It's not like there are ACTUALLY Englishmen walking around York with Longbows waiting for Scots to emerge... It's just that there are funny laws they came up with in the middle ages when such laws made sense - Back in those days, a Scotsman running round York was attempting to rape, pillage, plunder, sack, defile, murder, or otherwise ruin the English day... In fact, thinking about it, that sounds like the last time I went out on the lash in York, so I suppose not a lot has actually changed in a thousand years.


Or, to put it another way - cheer the fuck up you miserable bastard, it's not serious.

So apparently it is still legal in certain towns of England to shoot a Welshman or a Scotsman with a longbow or crossbow. However it can only be done within the city walls and after midnight. Although in Hereford it is illegal to shoot a Welshman in a cathedral on Sundays.

For some reason, laws like that pop up in a lot of British towns. Not sure why.

It goes back to the days when the Welsh and Scots were rebelling and causing all soughts of havoc with the English. That being said the English did invade and occupy them so...

Not just rebelling, we were actively conquering at one point.

We then got bored of said conquering, and decided to give it up.

 

[Under9000]

I can do this one!

In Britain it is illegal to impersonate a Chelsea Pensioner or wear a suit of armour in the House of Lords.(Solid logic behind one of those, at least...)

In Spades, Indiana, it is illegal to open a can with a revolver.

Detonating a nuclear bomb within the city limits of Chico, California will land you a $500 fine.

In Auburn, Washington, deflowering a virgin, 'regardless of age or maritial staus' is punishable by five tears imprisonment.

And best of all, bestiality is legal in Utah as long as you're male and not getting paid for it.

 

[Fiad]

And just for the absurdity of it, In Nebraska it is illegal to go whale fishing. For those of you not good with states. Open up a US map, look dead center. There is Nebraska. Now think of why this is absurd.

Maybe it´s to prevent companies based in Nebraska from owning whalers, closing the loophole that would allow people to hunt whales, as long as the company is based in Nebraska

A lot of these "stupid laws" are really just for closing absurd and weird legal loopholes, like that fact that you could own a pet bear while studying at Cambridge(true story)

Think the law actually specifies hunting within state borders. Can't remember for sure, been awhile since I have actually looked up the law itself.

 

[gravian]

Yes! My knowledge of randomly unfair British criminal law can actually come in handy for once!


According to the Theft Act 1968 it is illegal to pick any mushrooms, fruit or flowers on wild land for reward/sale/ or a "commercial purpose". So apparantly all the jam made for country fetes or mushrooms picked for dishes in a restaurant are taken illegally.

Its also illegal to steal a proof exam paper from a school/college but totally fine if you simply photocopy it and leave the original paper, as the knowledge of the questions can't actually be stolen. (Oxford v Moss 1979)


And I just have to mention the craziness in strict liability, where you don't need intent for at least one part of the crime. Leading to crazy shit such as:

"A butcher asked a vet to examine a carcass to see if it was fit for human consumption. The vet assured him it was all right to eat and it was offered for sale. In fact, it was unfit and the butcher was convicted for selling it. Because the offence was of strict liability, the butcher was guilty even though he had taken reasonable care not to committ an offence. He was not at fault in any way." (Callow v Tillstone 1900)

So essentially you can be found guilty of something even though you are totally blameless. And though that case is old because of the precedent it sets its likely that something similar today would go the same way.

The funny thing is that this stuff is important enough for British A level students (and me in the past) to be tested on. There are questions in the exams entirely about things like strict liability. I suppose to try to get the next generation of lawyers/judges to not make any more stupid shit to put on the statutes.

 

[Yopaz]

There is a law in my town that you can't fish off a certain bridge while on a giraffe. Just that bridge though.

I'm not sure if you know how laws are made, but just in case I will explain it the way I understand I've heard it explained (can't guarantee it's true). If someone is sentenced for something (either by a fine or other means of punishment) and there's no law against it and this is all decided by the party with the better lawyer then that sentence will become a law to make for a quicker judgment if it were to happen again. that's why there are seemingly countless idiotic laws which can be really specific.

You're not allowed to take out marker pens in a public area,.

Being totally serious here.

Graffitti.

Still a bit overblown, but not totally insane.

I find it interesting that there are no more capital offences in Britain at all anymore, not even High Treason.

As for weird laws...

Topless female sellers of exotic tropical fish are legal in Liverpool.

And I heard a story I'm not totally sure of:

The reason that in Britain water tanks are required to be on the top floor of houses is because when the Napoleonic War was being fought they were worried that old Nappy would sail up the Thames and start another Great Fire in London. So water tanks on the top floor so when he cannonaded the houses no fires would start.

Topless female sellers... probably would keep any guys from noticing the fish they're buying is sickly or dead. They wouldn't pay much attention to the bloody thing.

It's hard to explain why you are carrying a bag of water with nothing else in it when you get home. I bought a fish, but I think it must have escaped on the way home?

 

[Jegsimmons]

Alabama has a law (along with 895 of our fucking amendments 750 of which we dont enforce!) that putting salt on a train track can get you, not 25, not life, but the death penalty.

though that actually makes a bit of sense.

 

[ph3195k9]

No one may cross the Boston Common without carrying a shotgun in case of bears.
Duels to the death permitted on the common on Sundays provided that the Governor is present.

Gotta love Boston...