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Entering the British Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour is illegal.
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Dying in parliament is an offence and is also by far the most absurd law in Britain, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 people by television channel UKTV Gold. The poll was released on Tuesday.
And though the lords were clad in their red and white ermine cloaks and ambassadors from around the world wore colourful national costumes, at least nobody turned up in a suit of armour. Illegal.
Other rules deemed utterly stupid included one that permits a pregnant woman to urinate in a policeman's hat and murdering bow-and-arrow-carrying Scotsmen within the ancient city walls of York, Scotland.
A law stating that in Liverpool, only a clerk in a tropical fish store is allowed to be publicly topless, was also ridiculous, said the poll.
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council told the Telegraph the "law" was a myth and had no basis in fact.
Nearly half of those surveyed admitted to breaking the ban on eating mince pies on Christmas Day, which dates back to the 17th century and was originally designed to outlaw gluttony during the rule of the Puritan Oliver Crowmell.
Respondents were given a shortlist and asked to vote.
Most ridiculous British law:
1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27 percent)
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down (seven percent)
3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (six percent)
4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day (five percent)
5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter (four percent)
6. A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (four percent)
7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen (3.5 percent)
8. It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (three percent)
9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour (three percent)
10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (two percent)
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(Agencies)
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英國UKTV Gold電視頻道對近四千人開展的一項調(diào)查表明，“不得死在國會大廈”被認為是迄今為止英國最荒唐的法律規(guī)定。該調(diào)查結(jié)果于本周二公布。
在英國議會，盡管上議院的議員們穿著紅白相間的貂皮大衣，來自世界各地的大使們也穿著五顏六色的民族服裝，但沒有人敢穿著一身盔甲出現(xiàn)在這。因為這也是違法行為。
其它一些被認為“極其荒唐”的法律規(guī)定包括，孕婦可以在警察的帽子里小便；在蘇格蘭約克郡的古城墻內(nèi)可以隨意殺死手持弓箭的蘇格蘭人等。
此外，英國法律規(guī)定，在利物浦，只有熱帶魚商店的店員才能在公共場合袒胸露懷，這也讓人匪夷所思。
利物浦市政廳的一位發(fā)言人在接受《鏡報》的采訪時說，這條“法律規(guī)定”起源于一個神話故事，沒有任何事實依據(jù)。
近一半的受訪者坦稱，他們因為在圣誕節(jié)吃肉餅而“違反了法律”。“不得在圣誕節(jié)吃肉餅”的法律規(guī)定起源于17世紀，當時英國的統(tǒng)治者奧立弗?克勞威爾是個清教徒。
UKTV Gold電視頻道讓受訪者對一系列荒唐的英國法律進行投票，投票情況如下：
1、不得在國會大廈內(nèi)死去。（27%）
2、將印有英國國王頭像的郵票倒貼在信封上是一種叛國行為。（7%）
3、在利物浦，女性不得在公共場合袒胸露懷，但熱帶魚商店的店員除外。（6%）
4、不得在圣誕節(jié)吃肉餅。（5%）
5、在蘇格蘭，如果有人敲你的家門并且需要使用衛(wèi)生間，你必須讓他（她）進入。（4%）
6、孕婦可以在隨地大小便，包括在警察的帽子里。（4%）
7、在英國海岸發(fā)現(xiàn)的任何已死亡的鯨魚，頭部自動歸國王所有，鯨魚尾歸女王所有。（3.5%）
8、不得向稅收官隱瞞你不想讓他知道的內(nèi)容，但可以不告訴他你不介意他知道的內(nèi)容。（3%）
9、不得身著盔甲進入國會大廈。（3%）
10、在英國約克郡，可以在古城墻內(nèi)殺死蘇格蘭人，但前提該蘇格蘭人手持弓箭。（2%）
（英語點津姍姍編輯）
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