Make a payment. Make sure you don’t go as a sailor or a soldier. Its founding principles are self-reliance, community and keeping members at the heart of all decisions. T: +44 (0) 1451 600844 +44 (0) 1451 600844. guests@character-cottages.co.uk. Of course, when they don’t revoke old laws still on the books, it creates a headache for everyone. Prostitution and Tax Tax Bag Source Holland has legalised prostitution, and the earnings are taxable. Source: https://metro.co.uk/2015/06/08/10-odd-british-laws-you-have-probably-broken-by-accident-5235672/. Other controversial laws in the United States. But be reassured that it’s OK to carry your shopping along the pavement – as long as you’re heading towards your car. According to section 33 of the Act: “Every driver of a hackney carriage who shall ply for hire elsewhere than at some standing or place appointed for that purpose” shall be committing an offence, for which the current maximum fine is £200. Some other strange laws include: it is prohibited to open an umbrella on the street in Alabama, denying someone a glass of water is prohibited in Arizona, and it is also Illegal to collect rainwater in Colorado. Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox! What does the term ‘Sheffield Rules’ refer to? Because ringing on someone’s doorbell and then running away also contravenes the Metropolitan Police Act 1854. Founded in 1861, it began with the aim of helping people avoid the stigma of a pauper’s grave. 50 "Dumb Laws" Across the United States It may only be a quid. A fine of up to £500. DORA WW1 1914 Act So please stop doing it. You may be breaking the law without even realising it, but don’t worry, we’ve put together a handy infographic of 21 Bizarre Laws That Still Exist in the UK. The English legal system has been in place for over 900 years, and some of the laws that still stand are really bizarre. Nathan Belofsky (2010), The Book of Strange and Curious Legal Oddities, ISBN 9781101188965 Susan Dach (1993), Donkeys Can't Sleep in Bathtubs and other crazy laws, ISBN 9780893752644 Legal Curiosities: Fact or Fable? Thursday 08 September 2016 17:09. And why, indeed, do they have that orange light? You’ve parked the car and you don’t have any change for the ticket machine. The UK’s strangest laws that are still enforced. It is also an offence to “lay any fish, offal, or rubbish... into any well, stream, or watercourse, pond, or reservoir for water” – which presumably forbids anglers from tossing back into the water anything that they have caught. Further reading. The great and the good have been making laws in Britain for hundreds of years. Section 60, subsection 3 makes it an offence to beat your carpet in the street. designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. But the chances are you’re breaking the law without even realising. Bizarre US Laws. Royal London has its roots in the community. Laws are in place to make sure society continues to run smoothly. The notification states that 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. What was the Auld Alliance and who was involved? Although the likelihood of being arrested for breaking any of these strange Australian Laws is unlikely! These laws were made to keep out Welsh and Scottish invasions before Britain became united as one. Britain is an old-fashioned weird place and the most ridiculous thing it has, is its laws. Here you'll find all collections you've created before. try { no longer applicable (in regard to current culture or modern law).A number of books and websites purport to list dumb laws. The Seamen’s and Soldiers’ False Characters Act 1906 prevents you from passing yourself off as a member of the armed forces. When did Evelyn Waugh write Brideshead Revisited? It’s illegal to impersonate a police officer or a soldier – even at a fancy-dress party and even on Halloween. This piece of legislation comes under Section 9 of … The law states that a person is committing an offence if he or she “personates the holder of a certificate of service or discharge”. Magistrates are legally able to use ‘reasonable force’ to turn back an alien invasion of the UK as long as the aliens: Answer: a. Don’t have a licence to invade. All Rights Reserved. The law states that a person is committing an offence if he or she “personates the holder of a certificate of service or discharge”. 25 Weird British Laws You Won’t Believe Actually Exist, Source: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/news/2016/10-strangest-laws.aspx, Source: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/laws-uk-weird-door-knock-12755849, Source: https://metro.co.uk/2015/06/08/10-odd-british-laws-you-have-probably-broken-by-accident-5235672/, Source: http://www.southamptontaxis.org/blog/94/Do-taxi-drivers-need-to-carry-a-bale-of-hay-in-their-boot-by-law, Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248352/Carrying-plank-public-Youre-nicked-The-little-known-laws-daft-theyre-criminal.html, Source: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/zm3eay/i-broke-some-old-laws-in-front-of-police-to-see-if-theyd-arrest-me, Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/only-in-britain/strange-british-laws/, Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/weird-laws-almost-certainly-broken-12975706, Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/62/section/32, Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/61-62/53/contents, Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/10-11/89, Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Edw2/7/0/section/wrapper1, Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33993718, Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2830079/Barking-mad-pet-laws-revealed-s-illegal-impression-animal-Miami-pigs-t-called-Napoleon-France.html, Source: https://www.hotcourses.com/browse-articles/funstuff/criminology/1654/the-strangest-laws-in-the-uk, Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/calls-for-dead-laws-to-be-repealed-7618201.html, Source: http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/the-uks-weirdest-laws-from-queue-jumping-in-london-to-being-drunk-in-a-pub-11364045470617, Source: https://matadornetwork.com/life/21-bizarre-laws-still-exist-uk/, Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1568474/Dont-die-in-parliament-its-the-law.html, 25 Crazy Rock Climbing Photographs That Will Make Your Palms Sweat, Top 25 Best Things to Watch on Apple TV Plus, 25 Best and Surprising Ways To Experience Music, 5 Best Keurig Coffee Makers of 2021 – Review & Buying Guide, 5 Best Enzymatic Cleaners of 2021 – Reviews & Buying Guide, 5 Best Business Strategy Video Games of 2021 – Review & Buying Guide, 5 Best Bladeless Fans of 2021 – Review & Buying Guide, 25 Awesome Movies You Probably Haven't Seen », 25 Amazing Facts You Didn't Know About Animals, 25 Extremely Bizarre Laws We Can’t Believe Are Real, 25 Crazy Laws You Wouldn’t Believe America Would Still Have If It Weren’t For Civil Rights, 25 Craziest Discoveries Made by Ordinary People, 25 Obnoxiously Expensive Celebrity Purchases That Seem Over The Top. “Every person placing himself or herself in any public place, street, highway, court, or passage, to beg or gather alms…  shall be deemed an idle and disorderly person within the true intent and meaning of this Act.”. How did Henry V secure victory at Agincourt? Character Cottages put together this list of 21 of the strangest laws still on the books in Britain. According to modern myth, these weird laws are still woven into the thick fabric of the UK’s historical legislation (although, admittedly, many have now actually been made obsolete by newer laws). Ben Bryant/Shutterstock Parliament's famous Salmon Act of 1986 states that it's illegal to hold a salmon under suspicious circumstances. Just For Fun Quiz / Strange UK Laws Random Just For Fun or United Kingdom Quiz Can you name the zany but true current UK laws without picking any of the non-UK laws, urban myths or plain untruths? Sounds … You could theoretically end up with a … } Stop that hoopla: you're not allowed to carry certain items on footpaths in London, The World Black Pudding Throwing Championship, Get on your mountain bike for bog-snorkelling, Chasing oranges through the streets of Totnes, Welcome to the wonderful world of ferret racing, Find out where to race hens, chase cheese and carry wives in Britain, If you're feeling a little perplexed about your pension, let Royal London help you understand your options, Research your retirement options with help from Royal London, If the worst happens, your family deserve more than just money, If you're covered by Royal London's Life Insurance when you die, you can leave money for your loved ones. Find out how many you got right, and what these weird UK laws really are. £500. This Act also includes flying kites on the street and sliding on ice on the sidewalk. List25® is a registered trademark. Kissing in French Trains Couples Kissing on a train Source It makes it … Hey presto! _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-source'); Being sent to “the house of correction” for a month or less. But did you know that being drunk is illegal in itself? It’s our old friend the Metropolitan Police Act 1854 again. There are lots of rules and laws that we have to follow. 50 Weird Laws Around the World. Here are 25 Weird British Laws You Won’t Believe Actually Exist. We pay all our taxes, drive at 29mph and say “please” and “thank you” whenever the need arises. Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password. And this means that there will be some pretty strange laws on the books that, for some reason, were never repealed. We've compiled a list of 50 weird laws around the world you may not believe exist. They’re pretty good about creating new ones, but no so efficient at getting rid of the old ones we no longer need. Photo by Blogtrepreneur licensed CC BY 2.0. Sometimes these laws border on the seriously ridiculous, and other times they point to important cultural values that might be different than your own. var _g1; 6. Who decided that it should be Greenwich Mean Time. Suspiciously holding a salmon in the UK. The past is a strange, confusing place, and it's a good thing we don't go there anymore. As an 800-year-old dress code deemed "sexist and discriminatory" is debated in Norfolk, what other rules and regulations are surprisingly old-fashioned - or just plain strange? While some of these laws have been removed, you might be surprised to hear many others have not. But some laws in the UK are so quirky, and often so old, that you might not even know you’re breaking them! ‘The law is a [sic] ass!’ raged Mr. Bumble in Oliver Twist, after breaking it.Over the history of law, there have indeed been some strange and rather silly laws. Section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 makes it an offence to “roll or carry any cask, tub, hoop, or wheel, or any ladder, plank, pole, showboard, or placard, upon any footway, except for the purpose of loading or unloading any cart or carriage, or of crossing the footway”. The law only applies in London. There is a partial dispensation for doormats, which may be beaten before 8am – though not after that time. Advertisement Word of advice, check the laws of the USA state … Maximum penalty: a £500 fine. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. 13. Which makes flying a kite on a snowy day twice as dodgy, of course. Switching the burglar alarm on, carrying your DIY shopping home and hanging out the washing could land you in big trouble. According to the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it's illegal to be drunk at a bar or "keeper of a public house to permit drunkenness on premises." List25 Log in or register. The London Hackney Carriages Act 1843 states even if a licensed taxi has its “for hire” light on, the driver is only allowed to seek trade when at a standstill. Been invited to a fancy-dress party? } catch(e) {}. _g1.classList.remove('lazyload'); 4. Which theatre did Richard Brinsley Sheridan own? 14. Copyright © 2011 - 2019 List25 LLC. The arrival of a poetic genius – Dylan Thomas is born. Sometimes though, laws can get a bit out of hand, weird even. Suits of armor not allowed in Parliament Did you know it's still against the law to beat your doormat after 8am or to go to a fancy party dressed as a soldier? So why are taxi drivers not being prosecuted every day of the year? Maximum fine? _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); You could theoretically end up with a one-month prison sentence. According to the Seamen’s and Soldiers’ False Characters Act 1906, and the Police Act 1996, it’s illegal to pretend to be part of the armed forces or the police. The Metropolitan Police Act 1839 also says that it’s breaking the law to knock on someone’s front door and run away. Australia’s second most populated state says it illegal to change a light bulb unless you are a licensed electrician. Because the police have come to an understanding that a moving taxi with its “for hire” light shining brightly is not officially “plying for hire”. It’s a crime to “wilfully and wantonly disturb any inhabitant by pulling or ringing any door-bell or knocking at any door without lawful excuse”. Check out these unbelievably strange US laws that actually exist! We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. 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