Britain's Stupidest Laws Revealed...

From correspondents in London - November 07, 2007 10:46am

Article from: Agence France-Presse

THE Queen's speech in the British parliament
overnight may have been routine but at least nobody
got bored to death - that would have been against the
law Dying in parliament is an offence and is also by far
the most absurd law in Britain, according to a survey
of nearly 4000 peopleby a television channel showing a legal drama series.

And though the lords were clad in their red and white
ermine cloaks and ambassadors from around the world
wore colourful national costumes, atleast nobody turned up
in a suit of armour. Illegal.

Other rules deemed utterly stupid included one that
permits a pregnantwoman to urinate in a policeman's hat
and murderingbow-and-arrow-carrying Scotsmen
within the city walls of York, northernEngland.

A law stating that in Liverpool, only a clerk in a
tropical fish storeis allowed to be publicly topless,
was also ridiculous, said a poll of3931 people for
UKTV Gold television out yesterday.

Nearly half of those surveyed admitted to breaking
the ban on eatingmince pies on Christmas Day,
which dates back to the 17th century andwas originally
designed to outlaw gluttony during the rule of the
Puritan Oliver Crowmell.

The laws and other regulations were culled from published
research intoancient legislation that has never been repealed
although subsequentstatutes have rendered them obsolete.

Respondents were given a shortlist and asked to vote.
Most ridiculous British laws:

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27 per cent)

2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing
the Britishmonarch upside-down (7 per cent)

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

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

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

6. A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself
anywhere she wants,including in a policeman's helmet (4per cent)

7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast
automaticallybecomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen (3.5 percent)

8. It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything
you do not wanthim to know, but legal not to tell him
information you do not mind himknowing (3 per cent)

9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour(3 percent)

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


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