Most ridiculous British laws:

Ten stupidest laws are named

Published: 9:13AM BST 12 Apr 2008

These are the stupidest laws, according to percentage share of public vote.

Most ridiculous British laws:

Don't die in parliament, says stupidest law 1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%)

2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down (7%)

3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (6%)

4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day (5%)

5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter (4%)

6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (4%)

7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen (3.5%)

8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (3%)

9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour

10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (2%)

Most ridiculous foreign laws:

1. In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%)

2. In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)

3. In Bahrain, a male doctor can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%)

4. In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%)

5. In Alabama, it is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle (6%)

6. In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%)

7. In Vermont, women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth (6%)

8. In Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except funerals or hospital visits (5%)

9. In Japan, there is no age of consent (5%)

10. In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon (4%)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1568475/Ten-stupidest-laws-are-named.html

There is so an age of consent in Japan. It's 18. I heard a story once related to this.

For a time the age of consent in Tokyo was 16 and everywhere else in Japan it was 18.

Certain brands of expensive clothing became fasionable for teenage girls to wear at one point. Some Tokyo teenagers who couldn't afford these clothes were offering sexual favours for money.

Top lawyers and people at that level were literally caught with their pants down. While embarrasing, the sexual acts weren't illegal because the young women involved were over 16.

For this reason the age of consent everywhere in Japan became 18.

Thinkabout it now, I think the age of consent in Tokyo used to be 14. That's awfully young, but I suppose it's better thatn no age of consent.

Somehow I doubt the credibility of these.

There are thousands of ancient and dumb laws still technically in place in the UK

eg - All males of an age to be able to wield a bow must practice at a range of 200yards every Sunday (if they are 'commoners')

Everyone must walk to church to attend mass on Sunday (Church Of England)

and plenty of others.

Other food related ones are only the ruling monarch may eat swan

on catching a sturgeon - you must give first refusal to the ruling monarch

I suspect every country in the world has its fair share of insane laws

Ive not heard of the mince pies one - possibly true - the others Ive heard of.

Age of consent - thats a debate in itself - 14 would seem 'ok' to me.

MTFBWY - A

If they are in place, they aren't enforced, that's for sure. Haha. Living in the UK myself.

the rules about access - rights to roam and all that are classic examples - but what or whom do these 'laws' really serve?

Think about it - most laws like these are designed to serve a minority (heads of state primarily) - they are about enforcing obedience and 'respect' not common/social welfare.

Eve modern day traffic rules (especially parking) dont really serve to protect society (generally)

Ancient laws are a subject in their own rights (excuse pun)

The only ancient rule I follow is 'dont eat yellow snow'

MTFBWY - A

I guess that there are silly old laws no matter where one lives.

While not British I just couldn't help myself...

Here are a few from my home – Canada. I particularly like number six.

1. Every fifth song on Canadian radio must be by a Canadian born citizen.
2. You may not pay for a fifty-cent item with only pennies.
3. Section 331 of the Canadian Criminal Code states that it is illegal to send a telegram or letter threatening a bird.
4. Businesses must provide rails for tying up horses.
5. If you are released from prison, it is required that you are given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so you can ride out of town.
6. It is illegal to kill a sasquatch.
7. The best place in Canada to be imprisoned - if you=re a bankrupt drunk - is B.C. A law there requires jailers to bring convicted debtors a pint of beer on demand.
8. When raining, a person may not water his/her lawn.
9. In Ottawa it is illegal to eat ice-cream on Bank Street on a Sunday.
10. In Toronto you can't drag a dead horse down Yonge St. on a Sunday.

Thats it - im moving to canada all because of rule 7

There is a similar (if not the same) law in the Uk about payment with pennies.
This was changes not too long ago - so that basically a store owner can refuse to accept this sort of payment if the value is more than 50p. - But the loophole is a person can refuse any form of payment (discretion of the management ie the right to refuse to serve a customer).

Garm wrote:

I guess that there are silly old laws no matter where one lives.

While not British I just couldn't help myself...

Here are a few from my home – Canada. I particularly like number six.

1. Every fifth song on Canadian radio must be by a Canadian born citizen.
quote]

As a songwriter, music lover and someone who's worked on community radio I like this law.

The law should be more conveniently worded as 'a certain percentage of music played by a Canadian radio station must be by a Canadian citizen.' Nothing wrong with that.