Laws are to protect people or to stop people from doing something wrong. But situations change, which is why we always need new laws. Sometimes, the old laws seem absurd to us today. In this article, we look at some curious examples of absurd British laws.
A law from 1313 states that members of parliament can't wear suits of armour in the Houses of Parliament! It is also illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament!
In London, a law states that pregnant women can urinate anywhere they want. If there is a policeman nearby, the law says they can urinate in his helmet! Laws passed in 1839 and 1847 state it is illegal to:
- beat a carpet in the street, (but you can beat your doormat before 8 o'clock in the morning)
- keep a pigsty in front of your house if it is not properly hidden
- put up a washing line across any street
- sing obscene songs in the street
- knock on people's doors or ring their doorbells and then run away
- permit servants to stand on window sills in order to clean the windows
In Scotland, it is illegal to be drunk while in charge of a cow, horse or steam engine. If you get drunk in a pub...