Interesting legal facts (Yes, there is such a thing)

[The Dark Lord Mr Fluffy]

As the title says, I've reasontly found out a few interesting facts about the laws in both Ireland and England. Here they are:

In 2006 Ireland it was illegal to add sheep dung to your coffee

If someone was accused of witchcraft, they could still be put to the stake

If you were caught stealing, you could be thrown into a lake while "tied to a millstone or other heavy weight"

And a law ("Police Act.") passed in 1285, that set up a Corps of Watchmen, with a single task: to arrest "suspicious strangers" -- presumably even English ones.

Sadly these laws have all been ammended, and now we Are allowed to add sheep dung to our coffee..

However, it is still legal to excrete in a public area (even under the watchful eyes of the Gardaí, who are ment to carry around blankets to put around a person doing their business in public), while you can be arrested for urinating in front of a Garda (Irish term for a "Copper")

As for the english ones:

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (because you get a free state funeral)

It could be regarded an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British king or queen's image upside-down

Eating mince pies on Christmas Day is banned (I think this was finally taken down by Cromwell)

In the UK, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants

The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen

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

It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour

Are there any "interesting" laws where you are then? Do tell me!
Know your Rights, because so many of them are so wrong :lol:

 

[HereticLosMorte]

most of these are from canada.

added onto yours fluffy:
In Britain a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself into a policeman's helmet.

The Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto is required by law to stable your horse.

In the city of York it is legal to kill a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrows.

In Florida women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer.

Also in Florida it is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a swimsuit.

It is illegal in San Francisco for a man with a moustache to kiss a woman.

Think it's texas, it's illegal to buy beer after midnight on sunday, but you may purchase it anytime on monday.... lol

NATIONAL LAW
Every fifth song on Canadian radio must be by a Canadian born citizen.
You may not pay for a fifty-cent item with only pennies.
Citizens may not publicly remove bandages.
Section 331 of the Canadian Criminal Code states that it is illegal to send a telegram or letter threatening a bird.

ALBERTA PROVINCIAL LAWS
Businesses must provide rails for tying up horses.
Wooden logs may not be painted.
You may never use dice to play craps.
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.

BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL LAWS
It is illegal to kill a sasquatch.
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.

NEW BRUNSWICK PROVINCIAL LAWS
Driving on the roads is not allowed.

NOVA SCOTIA PROVINCIAL LAWS
When raining, a person may not water his/her lawn.

ONTARIO PROVINCIAL LAWS
The speed limit is 80 kph for cars, but bicyclists have the right of way.

QUEBEC PROVINCIAL LAWS
It is illegal to turn right on a red light at any time.
All business signs in the province of Quebec must be in French. If the business operator wishes to have English on the sign, the French must be at least twice as large as the English is. There are no laws governing the usage of other languages on signs. -Bill 101 (Passed 1976)

CITY LAWS:

Etobicoke
Bylaw states that no more than 3.5 inches of water is allowed in a bathtub.

Cobourg
If you have a water trough in your front yard it must be filled by 5:00 a.m.

Gananoque
Homeowners are responsible for clearing snow off of municipal sidewalks.

Guelph
The city is classified as a no-pee zone.

Kanata
The color of house and garage doors is regulated by city bylaws (a purple door get you a fine). It is also illegal to have a clothes line in your backyard.
You can't work on your car in the street.

Oshawa
It's illegal to climb trees.
Homeowners are responsible for clearing snow off of municipal sidewalks. If sidewalks is not cleaned within 24 hours after a snowfall, city workers will clean it and the cost will be placed on the homeowners tax bill.

Ottawa
It is illegal to eat ice-cream on Bank Street on a Sunday.

Toronto
You can't drag a dead horse down Yonge St. on a Sunday.

Uxbridge
Residents are not allowed to have an Internet connection faster than 56k.

Wawa
You may not paint ladders, because if it is wet it is slippery.
It is illegal to show public affection on Sunday.

Beaconsfield
It is considered an offense to have more than two colors of paint on your house.
You may not own a log cabin.

Montréal
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel must feed your horse freely when you rent a room.
You may not wash your car in the street.
You may not park a car in such a way that it is blocking your own driveway.
"For Sale" signs are not permitted in the windows of moving vehicles.
Cars parked in public places must be locked, and their windows must be down to less than the width of a hand.
One's rear license plate may not be protected by glass or plastic.
You may not swear in French.
Citizens may not relieve themselves or spit on the street. Punishable by a fine of over 100 Canadian dollars.

Outremont
Not only do all exterior painting jobs require a permit (for color) but, for instance, the City went to Appeals Court over the exact type of division inside a window frame .

In Fort Qu' Appelle, Saskatchewan all teenagers walking down the main street must have their shoes tied.

Halifax, Nova Scotia has a bylaw that states that grass on the boulevard (between the curb and sidewalk) must not be longer than 6 inches (15 centimetres) tall. If a dispute arises, the grass will be measured by city officials.

In February 1999, a judge in Collingwood, Ontario sent a summons to a retired schoolteacher. The offence - letting the Canadian Flag snap too loudly in the wind.

One old law in British Columbia makes it illegarl to kill a sasquatch (big foot). Another in Toronto makes it illegal for pigs to run in the streets. This became law in 1834 and has never been changed.

Margarine was banned from Canada in 1886. However, in Quebec it is illegal for margarine to be the same color as butter. For years, it was illegal in that province to have margarine in your refrigerator. It costs $100,000 per month for Quebec to produce non-butter colored margarine.

If you're going out of business in Halifax, be sure to get a licence for your going out of business sale.

It is against the law to drive a sled dog team on a sidewalk in any settlement within the borders of the Northwest Territories.

 

[The Dark Lord Mr Fluffy]

:lol: Love it! Any idea where all these laws are from? I need to know what I can't do! So I can do it anyway!

And here, any Hotel with the word "Inn" in the name has to put your horse up for the night and feed it hay

 

[Ghouly]

BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL LAWS
It is illegal to kill a sasquatch.

:'(No my lifes dream crushed

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

I had better never go to Canada, I wouldn't make it through the day without breaking the law in some way lol

 

[Redna Xela]

Law in Britain: Taxi-drivers need to have a stack of hay in their booth. This was because when there were no cars yet, they needed to show that they fed the horse.

 

[Beithir Seun]

OK here's some more:

In Arizona, it is illegal to hunt camels
In Kansas, it's against the law to catch fish with your bare hands.

Some daft ones from the UK:
No cows may be driven down the roadway between 10 AM and 7 PM unless there is prior approval from the Commissioner of Police.
A bed may not be hung out of a window.
It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public conveyance.
Any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked mannequin.

And in France:
Between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, 70% of music on the radio must be by French artists.
It is illegal to kiss on railways in France.
It is illegal to take photos of police officers or police vehicles, even if they are just in the background.
An ashtray is considered to be a deadly weapon.
No pig may be addressed as Napoleon by its owner.

 

[HereticLosMorte]

there was also one for canada declaring that every fifth song on the radio had to be by a canadian artist.

 

[marshal torrick]

In MIssouri it was legal to kill a Mormon until the mid 20th century.

 

[Raziel]

In Athens, Greece, a driver's license can be taken away by law if the driver is deemed either unbathed or poorly dressed.

In Massachusetts, It is illegal to go to bed without first having a full bath.

All the swans in England are property of the Queen.

By law, in Bourbon, Miss., one small onion must be served with each glass of water in a restaurant.

In Connorsville, Wisconsin no man shall shoot off a gun while his female partner is having a sexual orgasm.

It is illegal NOT to smile in Pocatello, Idaho!

In Nebraska, It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup.

In kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice-cream in your back pocket.

Found this lot on bebo. And here's another:

In Ireland you cannot legally be sold an airsoft gun or import one, but the game it self is legal.

 

[Vanhal]

In Denmark it's legal to be in possession of Marijuana for your own use. But it is illegal to buy, grow, steal or import it...

 

[chris_havoc]

Haha you didn't mention exporting... so that's legal?

 

[Beithir Seun]

Haha you didn't mention exporting... so that's legal?

How are you supposed to export it legally if you can't grow it, buy it or steal it?!? :| Crazy...

 

[Raziel]

Haha you didn't mention exporting... so that's legal?

How are you supposed to export it legally if you can't grow it, buy it or steal it?!? :| Crazy...

Get it as a gift?

 

[Redna Xela]

Well, in the Netherlands nowadays it's illegal to smoke tobacco in Coffeeshops, but it is legal to smoke pure weed/hasj.

Also, coffeeshops can have a certain amount of soft drugs and sell it, but they're not allowed to grow it (well, except for the 2 plants, depending on the province) and have to buy it from illegal growers.

 

[Trevy the Great]

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (because you get a free state funeral)

Wait...how do you punish for that?
"Sir, you are under arrest for passing away in the Houses of Parliament."
...
"Sir? Are you listening?"
...
"Excuse me, Sir!? You are under arrest!"

I live in the US, you can sue for anything here!

 

[HereticLosMorte]

like when a robber breaks into your house, falls down your stairs while carrying your tv out, and sues you for his fall..... then wins.

i think that is possibly THE MOST STUPID judge ever.

 

[Bug16]

like when a robber breaks into your house, falls down your stairs while carrying your tv out, and sues you for his fall..... then wins.

i think that is possibly THE MOST STUPID judge ever.

In the UK there is a very big misconception that sort of thing happens. Fact is, it doesn't. Why? Because the robber was breaking the law at the time.

 

[HereticLosMorte]

exactly my thoughts, if he weren't breaking the law (breaking and entering, trespassing, theft) then he wouldnt have been in the situation to have gotten hurt.

stuns me that in the US and canada, that sort of thing can happen and the victims (not the criminal) get sued, and the criminal wins...

 

[Raziel]

I heard one where a guy was driving a camper van and when he went to get a cup of tea it went off a cliff. The lad sued the manfacturer of the van and got like a million dollars or something. That's the one reason my teacher for junior cert science had an attentive class(ours was all the knackers and then me and 2 mates)

 

[marshal torrick]

Knackers?

 

[The Dark Lord Mr Fluffy]

:lol: Knackers - Irish scum from the depths of poverty and education. Like skin heads only with rediculously dyed hair

Sadly there are no laws saying that they aren't real people

But tinkers, thats another story. For such a small Island, we have a vast ammount of social divided. America may have Gangs, but we have Tribes!

 

[Raziel]

To expand on Fluffy's description the common knacker leaves school at 15(as early as possible here), brick "rockers", burn your house down, ask you for a smoke and then stab you and run off with your phone, start drinking at 12, are on the dole(social welfare) and most do drugs. And they're all idiots and have their own language. And they live in the same area i do

And yeah, what is it? Scene, goth, emo, rocker, knacker, tinker, pikey, culchy, D4, nerd? I'm pretty sure I missed some there lol

 

[Jack of Blades]

I'll pull some Swedish ones I guess...

While prostitution is legal, it is illegal to use the services of a prostitute.

A prince or princess who marries without the consent of the government, that person forfeits the right of succession for his/her children and all other descendants.

You may only own half a meter down in the ground of any land you own.

It is illegal to repaint a house without a painting license and the government’s permission.

If you release pigs into a acornwood (or a beechnutwood) mutually owned by you and at least one more, and exceeded your quota of allowed pigs, you will have to pay a fine for each each pig to the other owners and to restore any damages caused by the extra pigs.

I admit that they're not really that bad, but still, that's the best we've got. We just aren't as crazy as you . But I'll pull some from Norway as well.

If your vehicle stalls and you leave it on the side of the road, you must mark the vehicle with a red, reflecting triangle.

A fee is levied on each purchaser of any plastic bottle which is returned upon return of the bottle.

Licenses must be bought in order to own television sets, and even VCRs.

You may not spay your female dog or cat.

Here are some German ones:

Every office must have a view of the sky, however small.

A pillow can be considered a “passive” weapon.

It is illegal to wear a mask.

It is illegal for ones car to run out of gas on the Autobahn.

I think South Africa would be perfect for you, Disciple...

Young people wearing bathing suits are prohibited from sitting less than 12 inches apart.

 

[HereticLosMorte]

in Canada, if you run out of gas on the highway, and a cop happens by, you can receive a fine.
also, if there is a service vehicle on the side of the road, you must get over to the opposite side of the highway or take a HUGE fine.
talking on the cell while driving can get you one also.