How Many of these UK Laws Have You Disrupted?
How many bizarre UK laws have you broken today? It’s a question that most people don’t give much thought to, but it’s something we should all be aware of. There are all sorts of strange laws in the United Kingdom, and chances are high that you’ve violated at least one without even realising it!
Did you know that it’s against the law to fly a kite in the United Kingdom?
That’s right, according to the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, section 54, it is illegal to fly a kite in any public place. The law was enacted in an attempt to prevent people from disturbing the peace by flying their kites in public.
Despite this fact, however, many people continue to break the law by flying kites in parks and other publicly accessible areas. So next time you’re thinking about flying a kite, make sure you do it in a private space.
Dressing up as a police officer under false pretences
Dressing up as a police officer on purpose to mislead people on purpose is actually against the law in the United Kingdom. The reason this law is in place is to prevent members of the public from impersonating police officers and committing crimes.
So, be careful not to dress up and pretend to be a member with authority under false pretences.
Sliding on an icy street is illegal
According to the law, anyone caught sliding on ice can be fined up to £500. The reasoning behind this law is that sliding on ice can cause serious injuries, and often results in damage to property.
Considering this, the next time you feel the urge to take a tumble on the ice, you should reconsider your decision because it could end up costing you much more than just a few cuts and bruises.
Did you know that it’s actually illegal to sing the happy birthday song in public?
It’s true! Any kind of public performance of the song is prohibited without a license from the copyright holders, and this includes singing it in a restaurant.
So why is this law in place? It all has to do with copyright. Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote the first version of the Happy Birthday song in 1859, and it wasn’t until 1893 where the song was published. They copyrighted the song in 1935, and since then it has been controlled by Warner/Chappell Music.
In 2015, a US court ruled that Warner/Chappell did not actually have the copyright to the song, but the ruling only applied in the United States. In the UK, the copyright is still held by Warner/Chappell, which means that anyone who wants to perform the song publicly needs to get a license from them first.
Carrying wood planks across the pavement
While this may seem like an absurd law, as per section 54 of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it was created with the best intentions to prevent further disruption to the streets of London.
Pavements were often cluttered with goods being delivered to businesses, and there was a real danger of pedestrians being injured by falling debris.
Conclusion
So, how many of these bizarre UK laws have you broken, as revealed by technology lawyers EM Law? And with more new laws being passed all the time, it seems likely that we’ll all be guilty of something, eventually. But don’t worry, as long as one stays informed about the latest changes in the law, you should be able to avoid any legal trouble.
