The Law’s A Drunk With A Cow
‘TIMES change. And the law of the land changes to reflect the changing times.
But sometimes the old laws remain on the stature books. As the Express reports, more than 2,000 obsolete laws have been repealed since 1965.
But more than 4,000 Public and General Acts, 11,000 Local Acts and 13,000 Private Acts dating back to before 1801 remain in force.
That a law is old should not by definition render it useless. The Ten Commandments have been around for some time and continue to form the bedrock of our judicial system.
But some laws are patently antiquated. Like the 1324 stature that says all whales washed up on the coastline have to be offered to the Crown. Fourteenth Century England was a very different place to todays Blighty, predating the arrival of sushi bars and Greenpeace.
And the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 outlaws the beating of carpets before 8am. Other laws, as stated by the Mail, ban us from being drunk in charge of a cow, sliding on ice and flying a kite.
Kevin Martin, president of the Law Society, is right when he says that such laws demonstrate the constant need to renew and update the law.
So to enter into the spirit of the thing, here are a few new laws wed like implemented: London cabbies should remain mute when operating their vehicles; Chelsea FC should be sent to Siberia; and our MPs should be selected on how well they can impersonate an excitable cat…’
Posted: 16th, January 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
