The Most Ridiculous Laws in Great Britain

In the UK, there are a lot of rules, laws, and restrictions that have a long history. Many of them have long lost their meaning and have become simply ridiculous. We put together a list of the weirdest ones. If you date a Russian girl, tell her all about these laws – it will indeed fascinate her!

Don’t you dare die

In the United Kingdom, it’s strictly forbidden to die in the English Parliament building. However, this prohibition has an explanation: a man, who died in the Westminster Palace, should be buried with royal honors, but at public expense. With the help of this ban, the government tries to avoid such expenses.

Besides, one can’t enter the building of the parliament wearing steel armor, and since 1693 it’s prohibited to smoke at parliament sessions. However, snuff is allowed, and snuffboxes are specially placed at the entrance. But few people use it.

Parliamentarians are not allowed to offend each other. The perpetrator can be removed from participation in meetings for a long period of time.

Taxi and the plague

Currently, there are about 19,000 taxi cars (or cabs) on the streets of London. But not everyone can use this type of transport. For example, a person suffering from the plague is strictly forbidden to sit in a cab.

The right to kill
Everyone knows that the English dislike the Scots, to put it mildly. In this regard, if you meet a Scotsman in the city of York, carrying a bow and arrows on the street, you can kill him. The only condition is that you must have British citizenship.

Norms of Morality

In Liverpool, women should not appear in public with a bare chest. The exception is made only for those who work as sellers in tropical fish shops.

Can I use your restroom?

In Scotland, you can’t refuse a person who asks for permission to use your toilet.

Also, in the UK, if a pregnant woman needs to go to the toilet, she has the full right to do it absolutely anywhere in London. She can even use a policeman’s helmet for this purpose. However, this woman is obliged to warn the policeman before doing so.

No pies

Raisin pies, which are a traditional Christmas dessert in England, are forbidden at Christmas. This prohibition was introduced by Thomas Cromwell in the 16th century. Cromwell believed that eating delicacies is a sin. However, most Englishmen admit that they regularly violate this five-hundred-year-old prohibition.

Be careful with postage stamps

When putting a stamp on the envelope, you need to be very careful. If the stamp with the image of the British monarch appears to be applied upside down, this can be equated with treason.

The marriage ban

In 1836, a law was passed in Great Britain, prohibiting the registration of marriages at night. The ban was canceled only in 2012. But impartial statistics claim that marriages registered at night tend to end quickly for some reason.

No cows

In 1867, in London, the cattle were banned from moving the streets of the city. It’s unlikely that there are still cattle breeders left in the capital of the UK, but the ban hasn’t been canceled to this day.

What’s in the trunk?

In the City, one of the London districts, it’s forbidden to carry corpses as well as rabid dogs in a trunk of a car. Does it mean that it’s OK to travel around with dead bodies in a car in other districts of London?

Don’t touch the whale

If, when being in the UK’s territorial waters, you suddenly discovered a dead whale, you don’t have the right to touch it; otherwise, you risk being stuck behind bars. According to British law, the head of a dead whale belongs to the monarch.
Of course, there were a lot more ridiculous laws in the UK. For example, in the past, taxi drivers were required to carry hay in a trunk. But such rules and laws were abolished. As you see, even in Foggy Albion there is a place for absurdity in the legal system.